The veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a rating of 40 percent effective December 20, 2000.,The veteran's cervical spine disability and right shoulder DJD were both granted initial ratings.
The deciding factor: The veteran's lumbar spine disability met the criteria for a higher rating from December 20, 2000.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the lumbar spine (lumbar spine disability), Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right shoulder, Residuals of stapedectomy with tinnitus and occasional dizziness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 13, 2006
- Citation
- 0635179
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · 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 0635179.
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.
- Granted
A 30 percent rating is granted for GERD as of December 2, 2015. Ratings in excess of 20 percent are denied for low back and shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities were denied. However, he was granted initial ratings of 10% each for the radiculopathy in both upper extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.