The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with disc protrusion and status post laminectomy, as secondary to the veteran's service-connected back strain due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service or service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran's lumbosacral disc disease is not secondary to his strain and attributed the lumbar disc protrusion to a post-service motor vehicle accident, while arthritic changes were attributed to aging. The only medical opinion addressing this question was against the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with disc protrusion and status post laminectomy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2008
- Citation
- 0830954
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 0830954.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development and compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA). The veteran is seeking service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with disc protrusion and status post laminectomy.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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