The veteran's claims for increased ratings for right eye macular degeneration and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine were denied. The right eye disability is currently rated at 30 percent, while the lumbar spine disability remains at 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of the veteran's conditions or any additional factors that would warrant an increased rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Right Eye Macular Degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0637740
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,710 · 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 0637740.
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The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 40 percent rating for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in service, and his claim for increased rating for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine is granted with an effective date of September 17, 2005.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for right shoulder strain and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine was denied. The Veteran received a rating of 40 percent for right shoulder strain (dominant) from January 6, 2012 onwards, but her claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 20 percent for osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine remains pending.
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