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Denied

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and an increased evaluation, finding no evidence of a current cervical spine disability related to his military service or a service-connected low back condition. The veteran's current cervical spine disability was not found to be proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected low back disability.

The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's current cervical spine disability, first documented years after discharge from service, is not related to his military service or a service-connected low back condition. The examiner concluded that the veteran's cervical strain was less likely than not related to his low back disability.

Claimed conditions
Degenerative joint and/or disc disease of the cervical spine, Narrowing of the disc space at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra and first sacral segment
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
20%
Decision date
August 25, 2008
Citation
0828750

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 0828750.

What this means for you

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