The Board found that the veteran's back disability was pre-existing and not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection.
The deciding factor: There is clear and unmistakable evidence that the veteran had a preexisting back condition which did not undergo permanent aggravation during service. Additionally, there is no direct evidence linking any current back disability to service.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritic changes of the thoracic and lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2008
- Citation
- 0809905
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
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