The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, as there was no evidence of chronic disability during or shortly after service and no medical evidence linking his current degenerative disc disease to his military service.
The deciding factor: The November 2003 VA examiner opined that the veteran's current degenerative disc disease is more likely due to aging rather than an injury sustained in service, as there were normal x-rays at the time of the accident and no evidence of degenerative problems until recent years well after his period of service.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, degenerative back disease (facet arthropathy), arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2009
- Citation
- 0902184
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
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