The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back disability with bulging disc and deteriorating spine, including as secondary to his service-connected right tibia pain. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current lower back disability is not causally related to his military service or his service-connected right leg pain.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was more probative than Dr. E.M.'s opinion and provided a more persuasive rationale for the etiology of the Veteran's back depressive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disability with bulging disc and deteriorating spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147669
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.
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The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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