The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The left thumb disability was rated at 10%, the cervical spine disability at 20% from October 27, 2010 to July 26, 2015, and at 30% since July 27, 2015; the lumbar spine disability at 40%; the bilateral knee disability at 10%; and TDIU was denied from October 27, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The effective date for the 30% rating for cervical spine disability remains July 27, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes and schedules of ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- left thumb disability, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral lumbar radiculopathy of the lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18114174
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 18114174.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims of service connection for cervical spine and skin rash disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a neurological examination to determine if any diagnosed radiculopathy or other neurological disability affecting the lower extremities was caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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