The Board has denied service connection for lumbar degenerative joint and disc disease with residuals of lumbar fusion laminectomy, right lumbar radiculopathy, and left lumbar radiculopathy as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or any service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found no medical nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his active duty service, concluding that the Veteran did not experience back problems during service and that his current lumbar spine condition is due to normal degenerative changes over time.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative joint and disc disease with residuals of lumbar fusion laminectomy, right lumbar radiculopathy, left lumbar radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080740
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, fibromyalgia, and CFS. The Veteran's hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy, shoulder disability, knee meniscal tear, knee limitation of extension, knee scars, GERD, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and PTSD were also not rated higher than their current levels.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a back condition and left lumbar radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her military service.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the veteran's service-connected conditions, including trochanteric pain syndrome and bursitis, degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis and disc bulge, right thumb ulnar collateral ligament tear, and lumbar radiculopathy, all effective April 16, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right lumbar radiculopathy, and right foot disability as there was no new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication.
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