The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of L5-S1 with osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no current right hip disorder and concluded that any reported right hip pain was not causally related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of L5-S1 with osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease of L5-S1, Osteoarthritis of Thoracic Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19125685
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 19125685.
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 Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right and left lower extremity sciatica are each rated at 20 percent. The Veteran also received a TDIU rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused and aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea. The restoration of the 30 percent disability rating for left knee degenerative changes is granted, as are separate ratings for painful limitation of extension of both knees and symptomatic semilunar cartilage removal of the left knee.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for left leg radiculopathy was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and thus severed from the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease. The claim for a separate evaluation for radiculopathy is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted under the applicable criteria.
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.