The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease, residuals of a back injury, as there was no evidence to support that his condition was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a chronic disorder during service and the first reported incident of back pain post-service occurred over 30 years after separation from service, making it less likely that the current condition is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease (DDD), residuals of a low back injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0907914
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 appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) was dismissed by the Veteran in written correspondence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain and granted an effective date of November 5, 2007, but no earlier, for TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine, and ankle disabilities based on their relationship to the Veteran's active service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew the issue in January 2025.
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