The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition. The appeal regarding discoid lupus is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection was not established as there was no in-service injury and no current disability related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine, Degenerative changes at L5-S1, L3-L4, and L4-L5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20037723
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20037723.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's back disabilities, specifically addressing functional loss during flare-ups and with repeated use over time.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine, a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and panic disorder with alcohol use disorder (in remission), and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to consider if the Veteran's symptoms amount to functional ankylosis, which can establish entitlement to a higher disability rating for his service-connected thoracic spine.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including to consider the ameliorative effects of medications on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and to determine whether an effective date earlier than June 5, 2013 is warranted for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.
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