The Board has determined that there is no nexus between the veteran's current lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 and an injury or disease in service, thus denying his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a link between the veteran's current back disability and the in-service injury, as evidenced by conflicting opinions and the lack of continuity of symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2008
- Citation
- 0837251
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0837251.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee injury and migraine headaches due to inadequate VA medical opinions, while denying readjudication of the propriety of severance of service connection for lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 as new and relevant evidence was not submitted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective December 2, 2020. His sciatica of the left lower extremity is rated at 40 percent, effective October 9, 2015. His radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 20 percent, effective December 3, 2020.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1, status-post hemilaminectomy, microdiskectomy, and foraminotomy with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and re-examining him.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 is etiologically related to service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.
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