The Veteran's cervical and lumbar degenerative disc diseases have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each, effective March 14, 2012. The conditions are rated based on their direct impact without any presumption or secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA rating criteria for the spine were applied, with the Veteran's cervical and lumbar degenerative disc diseases meeting the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical degenerative disc disease, Lumbar degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19125565
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including lumbar degenerative disc disease and radiculopathies, as well as tinnitus, due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability, finding that her service-connected conditions do not prevent her from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a total disability rating from August 22, 2019, and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from September 30, 2019. The Veteran is also granted individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities from December 1, 2013.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities. A 30 percent rating was also granted for vertigo associated with TBI.
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