The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD is rated at 20 percent, effective July 11, 2011. The right knee DJD remains rated at 20 percent combined (based on a formulation of 10 percent for painful motion and 10 percent for instability).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the General Formula, but his symptoms were sufficiently severe to warrant a separate rating for radiculopathy. The right knee DJD met the criteria for a combined (10% for painful motion and 10% for instability) rating.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1532407
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 1532407.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error regarding the service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, including as aggravated by service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, including spondylosis, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), facet joint arthritis, and L4-5 disc bulge, is now rated at 40 percent effective June 11, 2019.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's requests to appeal the May 12, 2023 rating decision that granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for lumbar spine DDD, left heel injury, and right knee injury. The reasons given were that the appeals were not timely filed.
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