The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding no evidence linking the condition to his active military service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The January 2004 VA examiner indicated that he was unable to state with any certainty whether or not the veteran's knee problem had caused the onset of his back pain. The June 2005 and July 2005 VA examiners opined that it is not as likely or less likely than not that the veteran's back symptoms are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2008
- Citation
- 0814507
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding a positive nexus to the Veteran's active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of proposed rating reductions for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy, left lower extremity, due to procedural defects in the Veteran's notice of disagreement. The issue regarding a compensable rating for migraine headaches was remanded.
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