The Board has restored service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine, bilateral hips, and feet. Service connection is also granted for secondary peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes of the right and left lower extremities. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10%.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established on a direct basis for DDD of the lumbar spine, bilateral hips, and feet. Secondary service connection was granted based on the VA examiner's opinion that these conditions are secondary to the service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10% as it meets the criteria for a minimum evaluation due to diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more requiring continuous medication.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome of the right lower extremity, Peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- July 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18120498
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 18120498.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, finding that his service-connected condition aggravated his nonservice-connected OSA.
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