The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating for DDD of the lumbar spine remains at 20 percent, asbestosis is rated at zero percent, and a right hip disorder was not found to be related to service or service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support an increase in ratings for any condition, including the Veteran's complaints about his back pain. The VA examiner concluded that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran’s current right hip disorder and his service-connected low back disability. Additionally, the Veteran could still engage in substantially gainful employment despite his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Asbestosis, Osteoarthritis of the right hip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19160727
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 19160727.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and an earlier effective date for total disability based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date prior to January 10, 2024, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, both prior to and from December 2, 2019.
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