The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease, was not incurred in service and is not related to any in-service injury or illness.,Hypertension was not caused by the Veteran's military service. The examiner noted a significant time gap between separation from service and initial diagnosis of hypertension.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease, is more likely due to natural aging process or genetic predisposition rather than an in-service injury.,The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by his military service and noted a significant time gap between separation from service and initial diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, degenerative disc disease, hypertension, esophageal adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18143180
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 18143180.
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 headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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