The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability since September 26, 2007 was denied. The claim for a higher rating prior to September 26, 2007 was also denied. The TDIU claim was denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support the Veteran's contention that he had symptoms warranting a higher rating or that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19118226
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (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 19118226.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeals regarding an increased rating for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder are dismissed as they are duplicative of claims already pending in the modernized review system.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, pes planus, and allergic rhinitis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for each condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left wrist disability was remanded due to inadequate opinions regarding its etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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