The veteran's back disability is rated at 10% under the VA Rating Schedule, but his other disabilities prevent him from obtaining or following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that these factors do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.
The deciding factor: The veteran has significant disabilities due to an April 1984 motor vehicle accident, which are considered the result of his own willful misconduct. His back condition alone does not warrant a higher rating under VA Rating Schedule criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2001
- Citation
- 0125962
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0125962.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine, effective February 2, 2020.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and a separate 10 percent rating from March 21, 2016 to October 20, 2024 for right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the service-connected lumbosacral spine condition. The claim for an increased rating for the right shoulder acromioclavicular separation was denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates, as well as a TDIU claim, due to additional evidence received after the last SOC and the need for an updated examination.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 7, 2011.
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