The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities do not warrant ratings greater than 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations conducted in February 2011 and July 2012 did not show any evidence of ankylosis or significant limitation of motion, which are required for higher rating criteria under the applicable Diagnostic Codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disc Disease, Cervical Spine Degenerative Joint Disease and Degenerative Disc Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2013
- Citation
- 1325443
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 1325443.
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 Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating. The claims for increased ratings of lumbar spine disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU are being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings for IBS, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and left knee iliotibial band friction syndrome with history of early medial and patellofemoral compartment arthritis to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, higher ratings for PTSD, and service connection for various conditions, while remanding several service connection claims.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and special monthly compensation, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or an earlier effective date.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.