The Board found that the appellant's current low back disorders are not related to his service, including a 1968 explosion in Vietnam. The claim was denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in the current conditions.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing an in-service injury or disease that resulted in the appellant's current low back disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the low back, lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, lumbosacral radiculopathy secondary to a ruptured intervertebral disc
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2009
- Citation
- 0916801
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 0916801.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and personnel records. The Veteran's claims of low back and left hip conditions are also being reviewed.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for osteoarthritis of the low back, bilateral hearing loss, renal condition, right hip disability, cervical spondylosis, left knee disability, and left hand disability as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed. The appeals for service connection for osteoarthritis of the low back, a left hip condition (to include as secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of the right hip), bilateral hearing loss, and renal condition are all remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his National Guard and Army Reserve service records, as well as any relevant STRs from the hospital in Germany. The claim for a left hip disorder will also be reconsidered due to outstanding medical records.
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