The Board denied service connection for a lower back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not preexist his military service and was not aggravated by it. The evidence showed no chronicity of the condition prior to service.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence that the Veteran's back disorders existed prior to his June 1969 to October 1969 period of service, and there is conflicting medical opinion regarding whether any pre-existing back pain was related to his current conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disorder, lumbar disc disease, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21031045
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 21031045.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his diagnosed conditions, including mental health disorders, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, arthritis, neuropathy, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and headaches. The examination will also address whether any of these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
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