The Board denied service connection for a back disability, heart disease, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.,There was no evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, Coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) placement, Depressive disorder not otherwise specified
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21009830
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 21009830.
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 Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his low back disability is being remanded due to the reduction in evaluation from 40 percent to 20 percent effective May 31, 2014. The RO needs to provide updated VA treatment records and schedule a VA examination to determine the current severity of the disability.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain with spinal fusion is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 30, 2008, for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and depressive disorder not otherwise specified) and a low back disability.
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