The Board found no evidence to support a direct service connection for the Veteran's back disability, as there is no medical opinion linking his current condition to his military service. The examiner concluded that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's current back disability is associated with service.
The deciding factor: The March 2012 VA examination report found no possible basis of contention to connect the Veteran's lumbar spine disability to service and therefore determined that it is less likely than not that the current back disability is associated with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative lumbar (disc) disease of L4-5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2013
- Citation
- 1343285
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1343285.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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