The Veteran's low back disability alone did not render him unemployable prior to October 29, 2012. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding he was unemployable at that time.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's mental health condition and substance abuse issues played a significant role in his inability to maintain employment, not just his low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 20, 2018
- Citation
- 1810872
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 1810872.
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 a low back condition and right shoulder rotator cuff strain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disability are dismissed as procedural defects due to the overlapping nature of the appeals.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right hip condition, finding that the Veteran's back pain is aggravated by his right hip surgery.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, finding that it was incurred during active duty.
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