The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that it does not warrant a higher rating based on additional limitation of motion or other factors. The claims for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee disabilities, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were denied as they are not proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, with a 20 percent rating based on forward flexion limited to 0-25 degrees. The Board found that this limitation does not meet or approximate the criteria for higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Bilateral shoulder disability, Bilateral hip disability, Bilateral knee disability, Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2017
- Citation
- 1748669
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 1748669.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors prior to the rating decision on review. The effective date for TDIU is set at January 31, 2021, based on the last day of employment. However, the RO needs to obtain SSA records regarding earnings from July 2020 to January 31, 2021, to determine if the Veteran's employment was marginal.
- Granted
The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for the service-connected right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was improper, and restoration of the 20 percent rating is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is denied.
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