The Board denied the claims for service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, and also denied entitlement to TDIU.
The deciding factor: Arthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine were not shown to be due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on either a causation or aggravation basis.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the lumbar spine, Arthritis of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0910156
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability as further development is needed to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period on appeal, as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by active service.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and the separate ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are also granted. The rating for the right lower extremity remains at 20 percent from April 19, 2018, while the rating for the left lower extremity is still at 20 percent.
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