The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not the veteran's degenerative joint disease and chronic pain were related to active service, based on a lack of evidence of a report or treatment for low back pain during service when compared to the evidence of recurrent back injuries after discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Low Back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2008
- Citation
- 0804724
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 0804724.
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 degenerative joint disease of the low back and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is remanded for further medical guidance to determine if it is related to his active service.
- Granted
The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability, and grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is found to be due to an injury sustained during combat service in Vietnam. Service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss are granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.