The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability as the evidence did not support a link to in-service injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions concluded that there was no relationship between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service due to lack of contemporaneous records and absence of symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine (back) disability, to include diagnoses of lumbosacral strain and degenerative joint and disc disease, left ankle disability, to include a diagnosis of degenerative joint disease, right ankle disability, to include a diagnosis of degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2024
- Citation
- 24003629
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 multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back disability, and other conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's military service.
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