The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for DDD with herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbosacral spine and an initial compensable evaluation for neuropathy of the left lower extremity from April 4, 2006.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show evidence of forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine, which are required for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) with herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbosacral spine, Neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 21, 2010
- Citation
- 1003067
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 1003067.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and remanded the claim for further development regarding neuropathy of the left lower extremity.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date than July 3, 2019, for awards of service connection for neuropathy in each lower extremity as a matter of law.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and increased ratings, as well as a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
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