The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated as 60 percent disabling since March 24, 2010.,Prior to March 24, 2010, the Veteran's thoracic and lumbar spine disabilities are each rated as 10 percent disabling. Since March 24, 2010, her lumbar spine disability is rated as 40 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a pronounced degenerative disc disease with persistent symptoms compatible with neuropathy and little intermittent relief of pain and demonstrable muscle spasm or other neurological findings appropriate to the site of the diseased disc. The Board finds that giving her the benefit of doubt, this warrants a 60 percent disability evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical Spine Disability, Thoracic Spine Disability, Lumbar Spine Strain (previously characterized as a Lumbar Spine Disability), Right Ankle Sprain, Disability of the Eyes (bilateral optic nerve head drusen)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2011
- Citation
- 1140927
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 1140927.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Granted
The Veteran's right ankle disability, which includes a Brostrom reconstruction and right ankle sprain, is currently rated at 10 percent prior to November 14, 2024. The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the entire period on appeal based on marked limited motion of the right ankle.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for TMD, cervical spine disability, and FSAD have been denied.,An earlier effective date prior to August 2, 2022, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for erectile dysfunction and voiding dysfunction have been denied due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to his in-service exposure.,The remaining service connection claims (for bilateral feet, ankles, hip, wrist, cervical spine, upper extremity radiculopathy, psychiatric disorder, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension) are remanded for further development.
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