The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disorder is not service-connected as it was not shown to have been incurred or aggravated during active duty, and there is no evidence of a chronic condition within one year after separation from service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the current back disability is related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's May 1963 separation examination revealed a normal clinical evaluation of the spine, and there was no indication of any specific back injury during reserve service. The medical opinions provided were based on inaccurate medical history regarding the severity of an in-service back injury.
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005788
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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