The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the spine and bilateral lower extremity sciatica, finding no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection was also denied for neuropathy, with the Board noting that there is no current diagnosis of this condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no medical explanation supporting a link between the Veteran's degenerative disc disease and bilateral lower extremity sciatica to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the spine, Bilateral lower extremity sciatica
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18112335
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 18112335.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claim for a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability is granted, effective July 19, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and readjudication due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as a TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 40 percent for left shoulder strain and service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral lower extremity sciatica, secondary to the now service-connected lumbosacral strain.
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