The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and cannabis abuse disorder) due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for a lumbar spine condition was previously denied in May 2007, and no new or material evidence has been received since then. For the psychiatric disorders, there is insufficient evidence linking them to service.
The deciding factor: The newly submitted evidence does not provide a medical nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine condition, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, cannabis abuse disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18142284
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 18142284.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The claims for a cervical spine condition and lumbar spine condition were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as depressive disorder, effective May 1, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral knee and lumbar spine conditions due to inadequate VA opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep disturbances, to include obstructive sleep apnea, as secondary to an anxiety disorder. The increased rating claim for the anxiety disorder was denied, and the heart condition claim was dismissed.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.