The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were denied as the evidence did not show that his gastrointestinal ulcers, low back pain, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, scoliosis, and numbness of the right leg were caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's conditions are not attributable to VA treatment or care, as they predated and continued after his March 1998 back surgery. The evidence does not support a finding that VA's actions caused any of the claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal ulcers, chronic low back pain, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, scoliosis, numbness of the right leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0946550
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 0946550.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease and scoliosis, due to lack of current disability evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations related to the Veteran's lower back condition and surgical scars are inadequate, necessitating a remand for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
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