The Veteran's spinal disability was manifested by painful motion from January 2004 to March 2007, but there is no objective evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher disability evaluation prior to his March 2007 surgery. As such, the claim for an increased rating is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's spinal disability was manifested by painful motion from January 2004 to March 2007, but there is no objective evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher disability evaluation prior to his March 2007 surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 17, 2018
- Citation
- 1823034
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 1823034.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of April 20, 2019, for the awards of service connection for DDD of the spine and associated right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for DDD of the spine, but the case is REMANDED to obtain VA treatment records and attempt to corroborate an in-service motor vehicle accident. A new VA examination is also needed to determine if the current back disability is at least as likely as not caused by or related to active duty service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted effective June 22, 2007. The TDIU is based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD rated at 50% disabling since March 13, 2006.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD, degenerative disc disease of the spine, and degenerative joint disease of the spine as they were not shown to be related to the veteran's active or National Guard service.
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