The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 7346 and 5260-5261 for his GERD, lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc disease, limited flexion of knees, radiculopathy, and right shoulder acromioclavicular arthrosis. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction claim was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran’s GERD, lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc disease, limited flexion of knees, radiculopathy, and right shoulder acromioclavicular arthrosis met the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 7346 and 5260-5261.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Lumbar spondylosis with degenerative disc disease, Limited flexion of left knee chondromalacia, Limited flexion of right knee chondromalacia, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Right shoulder acromioclavicular arthrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179212
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy of the left arm, back disability, left elbow condition, left shoulder condition, left wrist condition, left hand condition, hypertension, and an initial rating of 10 percent for coronary arteriosclerosis prior to September 24, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for a facial injury, head injury, and left thumb injury as there was no evidence of current disability or functional impairment. The claims for GERD, squamous mucosa, migraine headaches, and hypertension were remanded for further development.
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