The Board denied service connection for a low back condition, to include lumbar disc disease, as the evidence did not show that the veteran's current disability was related to his active military service.
The deciding factor: The lack of in-service or post-service medical evidence supporting a link between the veteran's current low back disorder and his period of active service, along with an opinion from a VA examiner linking it to a post-military work-related accident, led to the denial of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- low back condition, lumbar disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2009
- Citation
- 0902663
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability had its clinical onset during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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