The Board denied service connection for various foot and ankle conditions, including a back condition. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions were related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no objective evidence of chronicity of care from service and concluded the Veteran’s current diagnoses were unrelated to his service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073533
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and intervertebral disc syndrome.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude his participation in any regular substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear, right elbow lateral epicondylitis, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and right hip strain with trochanteric pain syndrome.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for the claimed conditions.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.