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
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and secondary service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, both determined to be related to in-service hepatitis.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral lower extremity disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence of record. A new VA examination is required for these claims.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disability, PTSD, left lower extremity disability, and right lower extremity disability due to a procedural error in providing notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing before the AOJ.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's Parkinson's disease and related conditions have necessitated a higher level of care, including hospitalization and skilled home health care. The Board has granted SMC at the (r)(2) rate based on this need.
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