The Veteran's low back disability is not service connected, and his GERD, bilateral foot condition, right knee condition, headaches, and left arm condition are not related to service or any incident of service origin.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis for the Veteran's claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence shows that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for his claimed conditions, and there is no medical opinion linking these conditions to service or any incident of service origin. The Veteran's STRs do not mention any complaints related to his current diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracic spine with L5 spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis (low back disability), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Bilateral Foot Condition, Right Knee Condition, Headaches, Left Arm Condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2015
- Citation
- 1500557
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1500557.
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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
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