The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and duodenitis, finding that neither condition warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any findings consistent with more severe disability criteria under either the old or revised VA rating criteria for spinal disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Changes of the Lumbar Spine, Duodenitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 16, 2006
- Citation
- 0607403
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,242 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0607403.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with hiatal hernia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), duodenitis, esophagitis, gastritis, and H. Pylori, allergic rhinitis, and urticaria to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left foot condition, GERD, duodenitis, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder are being remanded for further review.,Specifically, the Veteran contends these conditions are secondary to his service-connected back condition, left knee conditions, right ankle condition, and right foot condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate, and thus remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, including its relationship to service-connected PTSD and exposure to burn pits during service in the Persian Gulf.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the Veteran's MDD and lumbar spine disability ratings, as well as his TDIU eligibility. The Veteran's claims are now effective as of March 15, 2012.
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