The Veteran's cervical spine disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board granted a higher initial rating for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy, with an effective date prior to December 13, 2010.
The deciding factor: The cervical spine disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The initial rating for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted based on aggravation of these conditions due to the service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disability, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 31, 2016
- Citation
- 1613153
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 1613153.
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 effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for brain cancer, low back disability, and cervical spine disability due to a pre-decisional error in failing to obtain a radiation dose estimate from the Under Secretary for Health. The Veteran's military service aboard USS ENTERPRISE is considered relevant to his exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine condition had its onset in service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.
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