The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for a back disorder, as there was no indication of back trouble in service and no medical opinion linking the Veteran's current back disability to his military service.
The deciding factor: Based on the absence of any indication of back trouble in service, no subsequent post-service treatment records until 1999, and an opinion from a September 2008 VA examiner that it was less likely than not that any back disability the Veteran had was medically related to his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2009
- Citation
- 0905045
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and neuropathy as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development and verification of any additional periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.
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