The Veteran's claimed back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a direct link between the current back disability and service, nor can it be presumed due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange).
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back pain, sciatica, sciatica neuritis, lumbago, bilateral para-spinal musculature muscle spasms, bilateral gluteal muscle spasms, bilateral piriformis muscle spasms, bilateral quadratus lumborum muscle spasms, bilateral thoracic spine segmental dysfunctions and fixation T7-L5, ilium and sacrum limited range of motion, bilateral lumbar spine segmental dysfunctions and fixations T7-L5, ilium and sacrum myalgia with pain, muscles spasms and limited range of motion, sacral segmental dysfunction, L5-S1 encroachment of neuroforaminal disc space narrowing and facet hypertrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19156060
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 19156060.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and missed VA examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being returned to the RO for further action.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic low back pain was incurred in service and continues to this day, granting her claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding her service-connected depression. She needs an examination to assess the impact of her depression on her ability to work.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity disabilities, including sciatica, are granted on a secondary basis to his service-connected back disability. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has been unable to secure or follow gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
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