The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability and TDIU as there is no direct evidence linking his current condition to active duty service or a service-connected disease/injury. The Veteran's combined evaluation of service-connected disabilities does not meet the percentage criteria for a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have personal knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his August 2009 fall, making his lay statements regarding this issue incompetent. Additionally, the VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was less likely than not caused by his service-connected left hand injury.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylosis L5-L1, status post L1 fracture with neurosurgical repair and cage placement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 14, 2013
- Citation
- 1301397
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 1301397.
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
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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