The veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his cervical spine disability, the veteran met the criteria for an initial 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2005, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. However, he did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,The right shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,For his service-connected hypothyroidism, the veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 15, 2002, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. The veteran's ankle disorder was not found to be incurred during active service.,The veteran failed to submit a substantive appeal regarding his claim for increased ratings on headaches.
The deciding factor: The veteran’s thoracic spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating under the old and new rating schedules. The cervical spine disability met the criteria for an initial 10 percent rating prior to January 19, 2005, but did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.,The right shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating. The veteran's hypothyroidism did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 15, 2002, and in excess of 30 percent therefrom. The veteran’s ankle disorder was not found to be incurred during active service.,The veteran failed to submit a substantive appeal regarding his claim for increased ratings on headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the thoracic spine, Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine (previously cervical spine strain), Impingement syndrome of the right shoulder, Hypothyroidism, Bilateral ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0723814
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 0723814.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), aortic valve regurgitation, and hypothyroidism as the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or chronic symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, Hypothyroidism, and Hypertension. The decision is based on direct evidence of these conditions during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for right shin splints due to inadequate examination and failure to address increased symptomatology during flare-ups. The Veteran's service connection for hypothyroidism was granted in full, leaving only her right shin splint issue on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, hypertension, DMII, hypothyroidism, and skin condition are related to his active-duty service. However, further development is needed for the claims of erectile dysfunction and skin condition due to potential exposure to toxins during service.
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