The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for cervical and thoracic spine arthritis, and hypertension were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability or service connection for cervical and thoracic spine disabilities. Service connection for hypertension was also denied as it was not incurred in service and is not secondary to a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were denied because he did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under Diagnostic Code 5291 or 5242, nor could service connection be established for cervical and thoracic spine disabilities. Additionally, hypertension was not incurred in service and is not secondary to a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of Lumbar Spine, Arthritis of Cervical Spine, Arthritis of Thoracic Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1715796
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 1715796.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits were granted effective November 3, 2021. The ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve were increased to 20% prior to February 24, 2023, and 40% thereafter. The Veteran's PTSD was denied a rating in excess of 70%, and his arthritis of thoracic spine and hypertension were both denied compensable ratings.
- Denied
The Veteran's right thumb and hand conditions were denied initial compensable ratings.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was dismissed as it has been granted in full.
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