The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for various spinal disabilities were denied. The cervical spine disability was not found to be related to service, while the lumbar spine, sciatic nerve radiculopathy in both lower extremities, and femoral nerve radiculopathy were all denied as not having been incurred or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran's current spinal disabilities are not related to his active service due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current conditions and service. The examiner also noted that there was no treatment for neck pain during service, which resolved.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disability, Lumbar spine disability, Right lower extremity sciatic and external popliteal nerve radiculopathy, Left lower extremity sciatic and external popliteal nerve radiculopathy, Right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, Left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20008227
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The veteran's bad conduct discharge precludes eligibility for VA benefits, including compensation and healthcare.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of June 2, 2023, for the grant of service connection for various conditions and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
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