The Board denied service connection for a low back disability as secondary to service-connected compression fractures of T4, T5, and T6. The issue of entitlement to an effective date earlier than May 7, 2002, for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was also addressed but is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions that the current low back disability is not likely caused by or aggravated by the service-connected thoracic spine conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, lumbosacral strain, arthritis, herniated discs at L1 and L4, compression fracture at L1
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2010
- Citation
- 1011846
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 1011846.
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.
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- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches with an initial rating of 50 percent effective from August 10, 2022, and denied the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disability, low back disability, and erectile dysfunction.
- Remanded (sent back)
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