The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied. The issue of a higher initial rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine will be addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support granting an earlier effective date for the veteran's service connection claim as it was initially denied in July 1976 and reopened in April 1996. The newly submitted morning reports do not constitute new and material evidence to reopen the claim, and the duty to assist did not require a medical opinion at that time.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 10, 2001
- Citation
- 0124389
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 0124389.
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 all claims for increased ratings, except for sinusitis which was granted a higher rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, TBI, migraines, and degenerative arthritis of the spine, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from September 11, 2014 to January 15, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his IVDS with degenerative arthritis is denied. The Board has remanded the issue due to procedural issues and potential new evidence.
- Denied
The Veteran's low back condition is rated at 40% disabling, but the original rating was 10%. The appeal seeks a higher rating.
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