The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied as the weight of evidence did not support a finding that his current condition is related to active duty or service-connected disabilities.,Claims for increased ratings were also denied, with the Board finding no evidence supporting higher ratings based on the Veteran's symptoms and medical records.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found that the current back disability was less likely than not incurred in or caused by service. They noted that there was no clear evidence from a review of orthopedic literature to suggest that an injury to one joint would have any significant impact on another or opposite uninjured joint.,For the other issues, the VA examiners found no evidence supporting higher ratings based on the Veteran's symptoms and medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Back Disability, Left Knee Disability, Calluses of Right Foot, Calluses of Left Foot, Acne Vulgaris (prior to July 19, 2021), Acne Vulgaris (from July 19, 2021), Left Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22027386
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 22027386.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.