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Denied

The Board denied reopening of the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine.

The deciding factor: New evidence did not establish a nexus between the Veteran's current cervical spine condition and his military service, and there were no incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) to warrant a higher rating.

Claimed conditions
Cervical Spine Disability, Lumbosacral Strain with IVDS and Degenerative Arthritis of the Thoracic Spine
How they argued it
Reopened with new and material evidence
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
40%
Decision date
June 25, 2019
Citation
19148929

Veterans Law Judge

THERESA M. CATINO

Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (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 19148929.

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

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