The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since September 3, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine DDD, radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and left lower extremities have significantly impacted his ability to function in an occupational setting due to constant pain, pins and needles, numbness, distraction levels of pain with movement, medication side-effects, physical restrictions, and limitations on physical and sedentary tasks.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), cervical spine DDD, raticulopathy of the right upper extremity associated with cervical spine DDD, raticulopathy of the left upper extremity associated with cervical spine DDD, raticulopathy of the left lower extremity associated with lumbar spine DDD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18147329
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 18147329.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error regarding the service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, including as aggravated by service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD).
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, including spondylosis, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), facet joint arthritis, and L4-5 disc bulge, is now rated at 40 percent effective June 11, 2019.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's requests to appeal the May 12, 2023 rating decision that granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for lumbar spine DDD, left heel injury, and right knee injury. The reasons given were that the appeals were not timely filed.
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