The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of spondylolisthesis, L-5, with associated low back pain is denied as the earliest possible effective date is October 30, 2003.
The deciding factor: The claim was initially denied in February 1980 and became final. The Veteran filed a petition to reopen his claim on October 30, 2003, which led to the grant of service connection effective that date.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolisthesis, L-5, associated low back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2013
- Citation
- 1327789
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 1327789.
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 spondylolisthesis, L-5, is rated at 50 percent and the Board finds that an extraschedular rating is not warranted.,For the entire period on appeal, the Veteran's service-connected spondylolisthesis, L-5, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a TDIU for this purpose.,Beginning May 19, 2010, the Veteran is eligible for SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected spondylolisthesis, L-5, and other disabilities independently ratable at least 60 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected back disability prior to May 19, 2010. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether he can maintain such employment.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the veteran's spondylolisthesis, L-5, with intermittent bilateral lower extremity weakness, tingling, and numbness, effective from February 1997.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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