The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for paralysis of the right ulnar nerve. The veteran's arthritis was found to not meet criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating schedules.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an increase in disability ratings beyond those assigned based on the pre-existing medical criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Thoracolumbar Spine, Degenerative Arthritis of the Cervical Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2007
- Citation
- 0721519
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 0721519.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral knee strains, residuals of a left ankle concussion, and bilateral pes cavus are found to be related to his obstructive sleep apnea. His claim for restoration of a 30 percent evaluation for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings have been dismissed as the appeals were not properly initiated.,Claims related to service connection and effective dates have also been dismissed.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and cervical radiculopathy. The decision is based on evidence showing that obesity, a result of immobility due to service-connected disabilities, exacerbated the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD qualifies for a TDIU and SMC, while other conditions are rated appropriately. The appeal is denied for higher ratings in several cases.
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