The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current disability and active duty service or any service-connected condition. The decision also found insufficient evidence to establish secondary service connection due to the cold injury he suffered during service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's current back disorder was not related to his active duty service, as there were no in-service incidents or diagnoses of a back condition. Additionally, the VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's back disorder was more likely due to natural progression and aging rather than any connection to his cold injury.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181625
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 veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for pes planus (flat feet) and remanded several other issues, including service connection for various disorders and increased ratings for the right knee. The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, and neuropathy as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development and verification of any additional periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA.
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