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Denied

The Board found that the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his lumbosacral spine disability was denied because there is no evidence of a prior compensation claim filed in 1976, and the veteran did not provide clear and unmistakable error (CUE) to challenge the finality of the January 1998 rating decision.

The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's failure to file an earlier claim was due to his lack of knowledge about the VA system and his belief that he had filed a claim in 1976, which resulted in its loss. The Board found no evidence of CUE to overturn the finality of the January 1998 rating decision.

Claimed conditions
spondylolisthesis of the lumbosacral spine with herniated disc L4-5
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
40%
Decision date
July 30, 2007
Citation
0723414

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 0723414.

What this means for you

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