The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for spinal disorders, including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show any diagnosed conditions until after the Veteran's work injury in 1991, and there was no persuasive nexus between the Veteran's disabilities and his service.
- Claimed conditions
- disorders of the cervical spine, disorders of the thoracic spine, disorders of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2009
- Citation
- 0947332
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0947332.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for new VA examinations to determine if the Veteran's current spinal and shoulder conditions are related to his in-service motor vehicle accident. The previous VA examinations were deemed inadequate due to lack of thoroughness and consideration of the Veteran's pain reports.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for disorders of the thoracic spine and cervical spine, finding no evidence that these conditions are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected left great toe disability and his current lumbar spine, hip, and knee disorders. The case will be remanded for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.
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