The Board found that the veteran's low back disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the veteran's multiple sclerosis began during service, which is not relevant to the current issue of evaluating his degenerative disc disease.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2008
- Citation
- 0808943
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0808943.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the lumbar spine disability from April 4, 2016 to March 22, 2019 due to inadequate examination and failure to consider all evidence of record.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, prior to January 5, 2006, did not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 10 percent.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy were granted, but the ratings are limited to 10 percent each. The Board found no evidence of intervertebral disc syndrome or more than mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's current back condition is not related to his in-service lumbar strain and more likely related to incidents after discharge.
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