The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as there was no evidence to support a finding that his condition was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: There was no competent medical evidence linking the current degenerative changes of the lumbar spine to an injury during service. The veteran's lay statements and medical history reports were not sufficient to establish a nexus between the current disability and his service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative changes of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2008
- Citation
- 0814365
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for reductions in ratings for post operative left femur fracture with leg length discrepancy and chondromalacia residuals, and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded all issues for further development, including higher initial ratings for various conditions and effective dates for ratings and benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a VA retrospective medical opinion to determine the full description of the effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is related to his military service.
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