The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, claimed as right back pain and cervical spinal stenosis. The Veteran's claims were not supported by medical evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity and depression on the basis that there is no direct link between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, claimed as right back pain and cervical spinal stenosis to his military service. The examiner stated that age and genetic factors were more likely causes of these conditions rather than service-related injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability (right back pain), cervical spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072703
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20072703.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for cervical spinal stenosis, right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy, and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy due to new relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's lower back pain and neck condition are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that his current conditions were caused by his military service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for obstructive sleep apnea due to a procedural issue, and remanded the cervical spinal stenosis claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's asthma symptoms are most approximate to her current 30 percent disability rating, and the appeal for a higher rating is denied. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bronchitis or service connection for cervical spine disabilities.
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