The Board finds that a back disability was not present until more than one year after the Veteran's discharge from service and is unrelated to his active service. The only medical opinions on the question of etiology are against the claim.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions are against a direct link between the Veteran's current back disabilities and his active service, including an in-service car accident.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Spasms, Arthritis of the Back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2013
- Citation
- 1333867
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 1333867.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to new and material evidence having been received. The claims are now pending for further examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis and skin cancer are not related to his military service, but new medical opinions are needed to address these claims.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since September 26, 2012, to June 28, 2016. The claim for service connection of a back disability and cervical spine disability has been granted.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not otherwise related to service. The Board also determined that the back disorder is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.
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