The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine secondary to a shell fragment wound, and for initial compensable evaluations for residual scars on the left axilla and buttock.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence that the Veteran has a low back disability which is causally or etiologically related to, or aggravated by his service-connected left buttock region injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine, Residual shell fragment scar on the left axilla, Residual shell fragment scar on the left buttock
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0908313
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0908313.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 40 percent for major depressive disorder is denied. The claim for TDIU is granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine and spondylolisthesis due to a spinal fusion postoperative with scar are rated at 40 percent from May 4, 2009, to present (exclusive of the period of a total disability rating from November 16, 2009, to December 31, 2009).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability is being remanded for additional examination and rating considerations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of consideration of additional evidence and the need for a new VA examination.
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