The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine, and degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar from December 8, 2006.
The deciding factor: The veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes at any point during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2008
- Citation
- 0809752
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 734 · Granted: 9% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0809752.
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: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no in-service disease or injury and that the current condition did not manifest within one year of separation from active duty. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support a presumption of service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a TDIU effective December 20, 2000. The Board also remanded the issue of whether a TDIU is warranted prior to December 20, 2000.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for the left shoulder disability was denied, and a higher initial rating of 20 percent was granted from March 10, 2015 to November 1, 2018. The Veteran's thoracic spine disability received an initial 10 percent rating, which remains unchanged.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.
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