The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no evidence showing a link between his current condition and active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s current diagnosis of DDD of the low back is not causally related to in-service complaints of low back pain which were acute and appeared to resolve by separation. The on-the-job injury in 1992 is considered a precipitating factor for his worsening condition.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lumbar spine condition, low back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19104927
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability had its clinical onset during his active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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