The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease with left leg radiculopathy, did not manifest during service and is not otherwise related to his military service. The claim for service connection for this condition is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence linking the current low back disability to service or any incident therein, including a claimed injury during basic training. The Veteran's separation examination was negative for any spine abnormalities, and there is no medical documentation of a chronic low back disability until many years after his separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- low_back_disability, degenerative_disc_disease_with_left_leg_radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2012
- Citation
- 1238928
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 1238928.
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 has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service, including an incident where a water tank fell on his leg and foot during training. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, left thumb disability, heart condition, hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, peripheral neuropathies in the upper and lower extremities, migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorder. The decision found that there was no evidence of continuity of symptoms or a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a 40% rating. The initial compensable ratings for hysterectomy and hysterectomy scar are denied, as well as the effective dates for service connection for these conditions. The Veteran also has an increased rating for herpes, but no earlier effective date was granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, migraine headaches, and erectile dysfunction due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
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.