The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease disability was related to aging and likely aggravated by work in construction, and thus less likely than not caused by service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative joint disease, lower back problems
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2016
- Citation
- 1603942
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 1603942.
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 of service connection for left ankle strain, migraines, and tinnitus due to procedural issues. The low back condition, right foot condition, and current diagnoses have been denied as not related to military service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals as all issues have been withdrawn by the appellant prior to a decision being made.
- Denied
The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective March 10, 2020. The Board denied an increase in the evaluation for his low back disability as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records.
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