The Board denied service connection for cervical spine radiculopathy and thoracic spine condition. The Veteran's request to reopen the claim for cervical spine radiculopathy was denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. Service connection for thoracic spine condition was also denied due to lack of current diagnosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current thoracic spine disorder to service, and thus denied service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine radiculopathy, thoracic spine condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2009
- Citation
- 0941680
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 0941680.
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's appeal was dismissed because the Board Appeal request was not timely filed within one year of the May 20, 2024 rating decision. The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to show good cause for the late filing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of cervical, lumbar, and thoracic spine conditions due to errors in the duty to assist.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a thoracic spine condition and a lumbar spine condition, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for thoracic spine disability and left middle finger injury due to insufficient medical opinions in previous decisions. The claims are being returned for further evaluation.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.