The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The claim for an initial rating greater than 40 percent for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy was also denied.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the cervical spine DDD to military service, and the Veteran did not provide any competent medical evidence of a nexus between current disability and disease or injury during service. The VA examiner's opinion against the claim carries significant weight in the Board’s determination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19101256
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19101256.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities result in loss of use and if so, whether he requires aid and attendance without considering such disability/ies. The Veteran also needs to be considered for SMC R1 based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his DJD of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding the functional impairment associated with his condition, without considering the beneficial effects of medication.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for DJD of the right hip with limitation of rotation and adduction, and higher ratings for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine and a rating in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity prior to June 3, 2022.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.