The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his thoracolumbar spine condition or left knee DJD prior to October 27, 2015 and from February 1, 2017.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes that would warrant a higher rating for the Veteran's conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine, Left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183481
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,506 · 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 19183481.
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.
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The Board has determined that the August 2023 VA contract examiner's opinion is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to address the Veteran's lay statements of onset during service and continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to determine the current level of severity of the Veteran's disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted service connection for insomnia, COPD, and right and left knee degenerative joint diseases. The claim for an earlier effective date for insomnia was denied, but a 50 percent rating was assigned for the entire period on appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine disability, finding that these conditions began during active service.
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