The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain and upheld the reduction of his anal fistula rating from 30% to 10%. The decision found insufficient evidence linking the low back pain to service, while noting improvement in the Veteran's ability to function with his anal fistula.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no medical evidence supporting a link between the Veteran’s low back pain and his service-connected anal fistula.
- Claimed conditions
- low back pain, hemangioma within low back area, anal fistula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19163939
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 19163939.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection and initial ratings were dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) being filed more than one year after the November 2022 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a lumbar spine disability was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's dry eye syndrome is granted service connection due to an in-service injury. Several other claims for service connection are remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran not timely filing a Board Appeal request.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.