The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine has been denied. The Board also found that there is no evidence to support an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.
The deciding factor: Service connection was not established due to lack of a showing of chronic disability during or within one year after service, and the opinion from the December 2011 VA examiner found no medical basis linking the cervical spine disorder to service-connected bilateral hip and/or lumbar spine disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbosacral Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2012
- Citation
- 1222853
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1222853.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left sciatic radicular pain, and headaches. It also granted an initial rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a rating of 30 percent for lipoma of the skin on the back of the head. The claims for increased ratings for right knee strain with shin splints and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied, as was the claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, disability manifested by skin rash and lesions on feet and hands, respiratory disability manifested by difficulty breathing, disability manifested by muscle pain and cramping, and joint pain in arms and legs, and chronic headaches, all due to an undiagnosed illness.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetes, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disability, hemorrhoids, and knee and ankle disabilities, was dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's PTSD, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with IVDS and spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction.
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