The VA denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for lumbar disc disease, status post fusion with hardware failure due to complications of back surgery performed in January 2002.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the additional disability was not proximately due to or the direct result of the broken screw at L5 following lumbar spine fusion and concluded it was not at least as likely as not caused by VA fault.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc disease, spondylolisthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2007
- Citation
- 0715535
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0715535.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for additional medical evidence. The Veteran's lower back disability, including lumbar strain and spondylolisthesis, is being reviewed again.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted with an effective date of May 3, 2016. The decision is based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities including his CFS and adjustment disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for genital herpes is denied as the highest schedular rating of 60% has been achieved. The claim for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities is also denied due to the presence of other service-connected conditions and the fact that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a combined 100% disability rating.
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