The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disorder due to new and material evidence. However, it is denied as there is no direct link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA experts concluded that the Veteran's current low back disorder is more likely age-related degeneration rather than related to his military service or in-service injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150211
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, service connection for a low back disorder, and earlier effective dates for TDIU, DEA eligibility, and SMC at the housebound rate.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right hand tremors as a manifestation of tardive dyskinesia and carotidynia due to enlarged lymph nodes, while denying service connection for other conditions including irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, gastric ulcer, submandibular scar, bone spurs of the feet, low back disorder, plantar fasciitis, enlarged right testicle, and cyst on the back.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a low back disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD and denied service connection for various disorders, while granting a 50% rating from June 5, 2017.
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