The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic back condition or disability in service and that his current diagnoses were not related to any in-service injury. The VA examiners' opinions were considered probative.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found the Veteran's STRs silent for a chronic back condition or disability, and concluded that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current lumbar spine diagnoses and service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, spondylolisthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19177232
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, recurrent right and left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, right and left total knee replacement residuals, and right and left foot plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and a 20 percent rating for lower left extremity radiculopathy as the ratings were restored in an April 30, 2025 Higher-Level Review (HLR) rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, left and right hip pain, right knee degenerative arthritis, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder.
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