The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are not related to his military service, including an in-service gunshot wound. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's history of trauma to his back during active duty was not supported by physical exam findings and tests, and the type of wound described by the Veteran is inconsistent with trauma from a gunshot.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), Spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2014
- Citation
- 1432191
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 1432191.
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 Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, and left ankle degenerative arthritis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is being remanded due to an error in the initial decision process. The AOJ needs to provide notice of his right to a hearing before issuing a final decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 50 percent effective February 13, 2021. His left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated at 80 percent from April 21, 2013 to February 12, 2021. The Veteran's TDIU claim has an earlier effective date of April 21, 2013.
- Granted
The Veteran's back condition is granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The claims for service connection for LLE and RLE radiculopathies are remanded.
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