The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1 was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a rating higher than 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no objective signs of radiculopathy prior to the Veteran's spinal cord injury from a gunshot wound, which is considered more significant in determining the severity of the service-connected degenerative disc disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease L3-4, Degenerative disc disease L4-5, Degenerative disc disease L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2012
- Citation
- 1240779
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 1240779.
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 Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause, and the evidence did not show an increase in severity of his service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions provided prior to the August 2020 rating decision. The AOJ must obtain updated medical opinions addressing the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to deficiencies in the VA examinations and missing records.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches are rated at 30 percent effective December 11, 2019. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease L5-S1 is currently rated at 20 percent. Separate ratings of 20 percent each are granted for left and right lower extremity radiculopathies.
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