The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and low back disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not determine without speculation whether the current left foot disability had its onset in service or if it was related to other factors such as employment. For the low back disability, the examiner found no symptoms suggestive of lumbar radiculopathy and concluded that any relationship to service-connected cervical spine degenerative joint disease was speculative.
- Claimed conditions
- Left foot degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), Low back degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2013
- Citation
- 1323202
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 1323202.
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 Veteran's low back disability, which includes a service-connected depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, was found to not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent from August 22, 2017.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her low back degenerative joint disease prior to August 22, 2017 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 29, 2017 was also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, bipolar disorder, and low back degenerative joint disease have been granted service connection. The rating for bipolar disorder has been increased to 50 percent. Service connection for the low back condition is denied as there are no separate compensable neurological disabilities or ankylosis of the lumbar spine.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss meets the criteria for a service-connected disability.,Chronic back pain in service and post-service symptoms support service connection for low back degenerative joint disease.,There is no credible evidence of a traumatic brain injury related to service, nor any current diagnosis. Service connection is denied.,The Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea is not related to 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.