The Veteran's cervical disc disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) L3-4, and left knee sprain are granted with increased ratings effective February 28, 2011. The issues of service connection for epididymitis and eczema are remanded.
The deciding factor: The earlier effective dates were granted based on the Veteran's testimony regarding inadequate examinations in March 2012 that did not consider his pain reports.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical disc disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) L3-4, left knee sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19144453
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 19144453.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions including hypoglycemia, sinusitis, left foot pes planus, right foot pes planus, right foot plantar fasciitis, left ankle pain, left hip osteoarthritis, left knee sprain, bradycardia, dry eye, hernia, hypercholesterolemia, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded 16 claims for service connection due to a failure to provide notice of the right to a hearing on a supplemental claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral hip strain, right knee sprain, left knee sprain, right leg shin splints, and left leg shin splints with lumbar spine strain are all found to have onset during service. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are remanded for additional development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for Dependents' Educational Assistance and service connection were dismissed due to untimely filings.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings for various conditions, including PTSD, GERD, ankle sprains, knee sprains, and hearing loss, were also dismissed.
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.