The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the earliest date assignable is April 10, 2002.
The deciding factor: The Board found that prior claims for increased evaluations were denied without appeal, making the effective date of the awards as of the date of claim, which was April 10, 2002.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- June 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0616157
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 0616157.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for tinnitus to September 23, 2020 and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, GERD, hypothyroidism, neck disability, PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and osteoarthritis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, including lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VR&E services due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the threshold requirements of having an employment handicap, and therefore, he is not in need of rehabilitation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeals for higher initial disability ratings in October 2017, and the Board has dismissed these appeals.
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