The Veteran's service connection claim for spinal arthritis to include as secondary to left shoulder DJD is denied. The Veteran's increased rating claims for left shoulder DJD and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis are also denied. The TDIU claim is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s spinal arthritis was incurred in service or due to his service-connected left shoulder DJD, leading to denial of service connection. The increased rating claims for left shoulder DJD and bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis are also denied as there is no evidence showing they have worsened beyond what is contemplated by the current 20 percent ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, Cervical strain and muscles spasms
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19131596
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 19131596.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed as a matter of law due to a full grant of benefits. The appeals for left knee and left ankle disabilities are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar disability and associated radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves are granted with effective dates from June 30, 2010. A 40% rating is assigned for the lumbar disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, including degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 40 percent for his back disability is denied. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU from February 25, 2016, to August 14, 2022, is also denied. The effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is denied.
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