The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease/degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy as there was no credible evidence of an in-service injury or a causal relationship between the claimed conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's lay statements lacked credibility and probative value due to inconsistent reporting and delayed onset of symptoms. Additionally, there were no service treatment records supporting the Veteran's contention of an in-service back injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease/degenerative arthritis, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25033899
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted an effective date of July 31, 2012, for TDIU and October 22, 2012, for service connection of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 30 percent rating, while the lumbar and lower extremity radiculopathy claims are denied. An earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, and TDIU based on single service-connected disability is remanded.
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