The Veteran's service connection claims for low back pain and herniated disc at L4-L5, as well as cervical DDD, were denied because the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.,There was no direct evidence linking the current diagnoses to service. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current back disability may be due to post-military weight-lifting injury.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a nexus between the current low back and cervical DDD disabilities and the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Mechanical Low Back Pain, Cervical Spine Degenerative Disc Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20029912
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 20029912.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his cervical spine disability and left upper extremity radiculopathy ratings, finding that no pending claim prior to March 10, 2020, supported these requests.
- Granted
The Veteran's wife has been providing regular care and assistance to the Veteran since February 13, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board grants an effective date of February 13, 2017 for SMC based on need for aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a left hip disability, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease with arthritis. The right hip disability was denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU from September 1, 2018.
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