The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine or degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine that is etiologically related to his active service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found it less likely than not that any current neck or back condition was related to an accidental fall off a truck during military service, and more likely than not related to normal age progression, deconditioning, and past occupation in maintenance for 30 years.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, cervical spine, Degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1704133
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 1704133.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and spinal fusion, as well as for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The decision is based on evidence showing that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to incidents during active duty.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and granted TDIU from February 21, 2018.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities as well as left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to address the Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.
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