The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disorders, specifically degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine, are related to his active military service.,The Veteran was provided with a VA orthopedic examination in May 2008, which concluded that his current back conditions were not caused by or related to the in-service jeep injury.
The deciding factor: The May 2008 VA examiner's opinion contradicted the private chiropractic physician's conclusion, stating that the Veteran's degenerative joint disease was more likely due to his age rather than his service-connected injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint and Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Joint and Disc Disease of the Thoracolumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2011
- Citation
- 1141079
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 1141079.
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 is rated at 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision. A separate 20 percent rating for sleep impairment and muscle atrophy due to cervical spine disability is granted. Right upper extremity radiculopathy prior to November 8, 2016, is also granted a 40 percent rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for a neck condition was granted, and he is now entitled to a 10 percent rating for his degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine. Other claims were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings are remanded due to inadequate consideration of extraschedular criteria, lack of discussion regarding marked interference with employment, and need for additional examinations. The case is being referred back to the Director of Compensation Service for further review.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and service.
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