The Board has granted a 40% disability rating for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, effective January 30, 2017. The claim to reopen and service connection for a neck disability was also granted.
The deciding factor: The September 2017 VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire found that the Veteran's back forward flexion is limited to 10 degrees, which meets the criteria for a 40% rating under DC 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1804189
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 1804189.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 1, 2016, for the 40 percent rating assigned for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and denied a rating in excess of 40 percent.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder strain, and osteoarthritis of the left hip status post left hip replacement based on a nexus to the Veteran's military service as a Navy SEAL.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of June 1, 1996, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine because the Veteran did not receive notice of the initial denial in 1996 and his claim remained pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left and right upper extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to a service-connected lower back disability.
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