The Veteran's claim for service connection for DDD of the cervical spine and tinnitus was denied. The February 1993 rating decision regarding right knee disorder is considered final, and a CUE claim for that decision is also denied. Service connection for chronic orthopedic manifestations of lumbar spine DDD was denied with respect to the period from June 30, 2014 to April 19, 2015, and since April 19, 2015.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the cervical spine disorder had onset in service or was due to or chronically worsened by the service-connected lumbar spine disability. The tinnitus claim was granted as there was at least equipoise of evidence supporting its presence. Service connection for chronic orthopedic manifestations of lumbar spine DDD was denied as the weight of evidence did not support a finding that it had onset in service or was due to the service-connected lumbar spine disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18143479
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 18143479.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to hypertension and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but remanded the claim for degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.