The Board finds that the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than July 15, 1991 for service connection are not warranted as there is no indication of a pending claim prior to this date.
The deciding factor: There was no indication of a pending claim for service connection before July 15, 1991.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2013
- Citation
- 1312495
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 1312495.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease, osteoarthritis of the right hand second digit and thumb, asthma, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), prostate cancer with prostatectomy, bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, right thigh residual scar, right index finger scar, and abdomen scar, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, which resulted in a 40 percent rating, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it did not result in unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine or the entire spine, or functional equivalent thereof.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU claim was remanded due to issues with the Board's analysis of his educational history and work capacity. The case is now being returned for further consideration.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, which grants SMC based on the need for aid and attendance. As a result, there is no question left to decide regarding entitlement to SMC by reason of being housebound.
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