The Board found that there is no evidence of a back injury during service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a low back injury.,There is also insufficient evidence to establish service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, as the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no medical evidence of pneumonia or any other pulmonary or respiratory complaints, symptoms, or treatment while in the military. The Veteran's assertions of suffering from pneumonia during service are not credible due to lack of contemporaneous medical records and his denial at separation.,There is no mention of a back injury in the Veteran's service treatment records, and he did not report any history of recurrent back pain at separation. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection for residuals of a low back injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Pulmonary Fibrosis, Residuals of a Low Back Injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1637662
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 1637662.
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 Board has restored the Veteran's 100% evaluation for COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis as of July 27, 2023, due to improper reduction from September 1, 2025.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for insomnia, memory loss, and hearing loss are dismissed. Service connection for pulmonary fibrosis is granted under the PACT Act.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board found that the grant of service connection for pulmonary fibrosis was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous, but also noted conflicting medical opinions regarding its cause. Service connection is restored.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is granted an initial evaluation of 100 percent for COPD and associated conditions, including chronic pulmonary hypertension, from the date she filed her claim in April 2018.
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