The Board found that the appellant's low back disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence prior to September 23, 2002, showed moderate IVDS with recurring attacks but not severe IVDS. The appellant's disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the revised diagnostic codes effective September 26, 2003.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, L5-S1, Degenerative changes, Hemangioma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 27, 2006
- Citation
- 0618803
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,196 · Granted: 17% (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 0618803.
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
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