The Board found that the veteran's service-connected lumbar degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy does not warrant a disability rating in excess of 40 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records did not show evidence of ankylosis or persistent intervertebral disc syndrome symptomatology, which would justify a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2004
- Citation
- 0414667
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,500 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0414667.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are more likely due to age-related degeneration and post-military trauma, rather than his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's spine disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current spinal conditions and an in-service injury or disease.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy is granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection for cervical strain is denied and set at July 12, 2012.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy and bilateral pes planus with arthritis, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service.
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