The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the veteran's cervical degenerative joint and disc disease, effective from September 26, 2003. The ratings for lumbar degenerative joint and disc disease and left carpal tunnel syndrome remain at 20 percent and noncompensable respectively.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran's cervical spine disorder met the criteria for a 20 percent rating as of September 26, 2003. The lumbar spine disorder did not meet the criteria for an increased rating prior to this date, and remains at 20 percent. The left carpal tunnel syndrome is rated noncompensable.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint and Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Cervical Spine, Left Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0612854
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (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 0612854.
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 Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for a head scar, service connection for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Board will obtain VA examinations and medical opinions to address the relevant evidence.
- Denied
The Veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome and median nerve paralysis are currently rated at the highest possible rating under VA regulations, but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they have not shown complete paralysis or substantial loss of use of the hand.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), liver condition, joint pain, intestinal condition, kidney condition, sleep apnea, vein condition, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and lumbar spine disability have all been granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine was found to not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as it did not result in forward flexion of 15 degrees or less and there was no evidence of favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine.
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