The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for DDD of the cervical and lumbar spine were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent under the effective September 23, 2002 or September 26, 2003 rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's DDD of the cervical and lumbar spine did not result in incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prescribed by a physician, nor did it show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine. The VA examinations indicated that his symptoms were primarily related to pain and stiffness without significant neurological involvement.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2010
- Citation
- 1032648
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 1032648.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and an earlier effective date for total disability based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to January 10, 2024, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, both prior to and from December 2, 2019.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine.
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