The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the current condition is not related to service.,Service connection was also denied for left lower leg radiculopathy as secondary to a service-connected disability due to lack of evidence linking it to service or a pre-existing condition.,Tinnitus was granted service connection based on in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no link between the current low back disability and service, citing the Veteran's denial of any prior history of back pain at separation and lack of objective evidence of a pre-existing condition.,The VA examiner also concluded that left lower leg radiculopathy was not caused by or aggravated by a service-connected disability due to the absence of a link between the current condition and service, as well as the Veteran's reported history of prior back injury.,Tinnitus was granted based on in-service noise exposure, with the VA examiner acknowledging the Veteran’s reports of acoustic trauma during service.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, left lower leg radiculopathy, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19109137
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19109137.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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