The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, status post L5-S1 laminectomy, and post-traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder. The veteran's hypertension was not found to meet criteria warranting a compensable rating. For his status post L5-S1 laminectomy, the RO had assigned a 20 percent evaluation based on recurring attacks of moderate intervertebral disc syndrome with resolution in favor of the veteran. However, the Board determined that this evaluation did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under current regulations. The claim for post-traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder was also denied as there were no findings meeting the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show sufficient impairment to warrant any increase in ratings, and the RO's evaluation for status post L5-S1 laminectomy was based on subjective symptoms rather than objective findings that would support an increased rating under current regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Post-traumatic arthritis of the AC joint of the left shoulder, Post-traumatic arthritis of the right ankle, Status post L5-S1 laminectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2006
- Citation
- 0629327
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,084 · Granted: 20% (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 0629327.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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