The Board found that the Veteran's current degenerative disk disease was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied her claim.
The deciding factor: VA medical examinations concluded that the Veteran's current degenerative disk disease is unrelated to her inservice low back pain, as there is no evidence of a continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disk disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2013
- Citation
- 1338418
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 1338418.
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.
- Dismissed
This appeal is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew her appeals on several issues, including a rating for DDD of the lumbar spine and PTSD. The right foot disorder claim was reopened due to new evidence.,New evidence has been received that supports service connection for a right foot disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his back disability was denied as the law does not allow for a freestanding claim for an earlier effective date. The earliest effective date that could legally be awarded is May 29, 2002.
- Granted
The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at a combined initial rating of 90 percent, effective from June 26, 2000.
- 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.
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.