The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders were not incurred in service due to a pre-existing condition, and thus denied his claims for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined there was clear and unmistakable evidence of a pre-existing lumbar spine injury prior to service which did not increase during service, and no evidence of cervical spine problems before or during service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a lumbar spine injury, residuals of a cervical spine injury
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2018
- Citation
- 1829510
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 1829510.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection claims related to a lumbar spine injury, fibromyalgia, a left shoulder injury, and a cervical spine injury with traumatic arthritis.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed as the issue is moot due to a full grant of benefits. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for other conditions were remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of residuals of a cervical spine injury due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing service treatment records and the Veteran's credible testimony of an inservice injury. The claim will be returned for further development, including obtaining medical opinions.
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