The veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 60 percent, and his cervical spine disability is rated at 40 percent. The right shoulder disorder and left shoulder disorder are both rated at 10 percent each.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the maximum ratings for the lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities due to severe range of motion loss with marked fatigability, muscle spasm, and radiculopathy in the lower extremities. The right and left shoulder disorders are separately rated at 10 percent each based on sensory neurologic deficits.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertrophic arthritis of the lumbar spine, Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Right shoulder disorder (degenerative joint disease and rotator cuff tear), Left shoulder disorder (degenerative joint disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2006
- Citation
- 0606503
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine has prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful occupation, and he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment prior to June 14, 2022.
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