The Veteran's cervical spine DJD is granted service connection, while his lumbosacral spine DDD and DJD remains at a 20% rating. The Veteran's current disability ratings are based on the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s cervical spine disability is related to his military service, granting service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the cervical spine, Degenerative Disk Disease (DDD) and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19183864
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's DJD of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and migraines are being reviewed again with an aim to determine their relationship to his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to April 16, 2014 for the award of service connection for DJD of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, residual scar from GSW of the back, and mild interphalangeal osteoarthritis of the left fifth finger.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck condition, finding that the evidence does not support a link between his current disability and his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the cervical spine and Sleep Apnea, as secondary to service-connected Traumatic Brain Injury. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.
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