Service connection for a low back disorder is denied.,Service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, claimed as secondary to the low back disorder, is denied.,Nonservice-connected pension benefits are denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of record that the Veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service. The Board reiterates that the only in-service notation of any back disorder is related to a December 1958 incident while the Veteran was employed as a store clerk when he stated that something snapped in his back while lifting a bag of sugar.,The preponderance of the evidence does not reflect that the Veteran's current left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected low back disorder. The threshold legal requirements for secondary service connection are not met as there is no established service-connected disability to which the claimed condition may be linked.,The Veteran did not serve during a period of war, thus he does not meet the eligibility criteria for nonservice-connected pension benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19190499
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 19190499.
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 appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the conditions are related to Agent Orange exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a low back disorder was dismissed as the RO granted service connection in a November 2023 rating decision.
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