The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with arthritis was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a chronic condition within one year post-service discharge. The Board found that the current disability is less likely related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s current degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with arthritis is less likely than not incurred in or caused by service, due to lack of documentation of an injury and no treatment for back pain immediately following service discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19100550
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 Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with arthritis is granted as his current condition can be linked to his in-service symptoms and post-service progression.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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