The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and hemorrhoids have been denied. The Board finds that further development is necessary to address the Veteran's complaints of flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The January 2011 VA examination did not provide sufficient detail regarding the frequency or severity of the Veteran's flare-ups, which are critical for determining appropriate disability ratings under Diagnostic Code 5237 (lumbar spine degenerative disc disease) and Diagnostic Code 7336 (hemorrhoids).
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2014
- Citation
- 1454051
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 1454051.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, as there are insufficient medical opinions and records. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was denied, and his claims for right knee, left knee, right hand, left hand, GERD, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied. The effective date of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted on December 14, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for tension headaches was granted with an effective date of August 28, 2014.,Service connection for eczema was granted with an effective date of August 10, 2022. The Veteran requested an earlier effective date but the request was denied.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right ankle disorder.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection for gastroenteritis, lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain, right knee strain and hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a lumbosacral strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right knee strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.
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.