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Whole decision: Denied

The Board denied service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with spondylosis, status post interbody fusion L5-S1 as the evidence did not show it began during service or was related to an in-service injury.,Service connection was also denied for neuralgia of the right lower extremity because there is no evidence that it began during service and is not otherwise related to a service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's current condition may be due to his low back disorder, but this does not meet the criteria for direct service connection.,The claim for left lower extremity pain was denied as there is no current diagnosis of radiculopathy or evidence showing it began during service. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis and VA examinations found no signs of radiculopathy.,Service connection for hepatitis was denied because the condition did not manifest within one year after service, and there is no evidence linking it to contaminated water exposure from Camp Lejeune.

The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not show that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease began during service or was related to an in-service injury.,There is no direct evidence showing a link between the Veteran's right leg neuropathy and his service. The condition first appeared many years after service, and there are no service treatment records indicating any such issue.,The Board found that the Veteran did not have current radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, as evidenced by negative examination findings and lack of medical documentation.,There is no evidence showing a nexus between the Veteran's hepatitis and his active service. The condition first appeared years after service, and there are no records indicating any connection to contaminated water exposure from Camp Lejeune.

Claimed conditions
lumbar degenerative disc disease with spondylosis, status post interbody fusion L5-S1, neuralgia of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity disability, hepatitis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
February 4, 2019
Citation
19108318

Veterans Law Judge

A. ISHIZAWAR

Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19108318.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

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