The Veteran's appeal is for increased ratings for service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right knee. The RO has granted service connection and assigned a single initial disability rating of 20 percent from March 1, 2004. During the course of the appeal, separate ratings were assigned to each condition. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings remains denied.
The deciding factor: The current ratings do not reflect the severity of the Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease as determined by the VA examinations and medical opinions provided throughout the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of Cervical Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of Lumbar Spine, Degenerative Joint Disease of Right Knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2009
- Citation
- 0918290
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 0918290.
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 Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and left leg radiculopathy have been granted a 40 percent rating. However, his right leg radiculopathy and left leg radiculopathy are remanded for further review.
- Denied
The Veteran's right knee condition is rated at 20 percent disabling, effective August 31, 2022.,The Veteran's scars are currently rated at 20 percent disabling, also effective August 31, 2022.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition, finding that it is secondary to her service-connected left knee disability. The evidence shows that the Veteran injured both knees in 1999 and continued to experience pain despite treatment.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lumbar spine conditions, have rendered him permanently housebound since April 7, 2018. The Board has granted an effective date of April 7, 2018 for SMC based on his housebound status.
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