The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding no evidence of a causal relationship to the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examinations found that the Veteran's current low back disorder was not caused by his service-connected left knee disability. The Board also concluded there was no evidence linking the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder to his military service, and it was determined that the disorder resulted from voluntary alcohol use.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2009
- Citation
- 0911310
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 was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was dismissed as the RO granted service connection in a November 2023 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a low back disorder to obtain additional evidence and an adequate medical opinion in compliance with previous remand instructions.
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