The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral tendonitis of the wrists and hands, plantar calcaneal spur of the left foot (secondary to lumbar spine disability), increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, DDD of the lumbar spine, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in reducing the 30% evaluation to 20% for DDD of the lumbar spine. The service connection claims were denied as the evidence did not support the claimed conditions or etiology, and the TDIU claim was denied due to lack of meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Bilateral tendonitis of the wrists and hands, Plantar calcaneal spur, left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1303199
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 1303199.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, finding that his service-connected condition aggravated his nonservice-connected OSA.
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