The Veteran's service-connected lumbar and cervical spine conditions have been granted increased ratings, with some periods receiving temporary total ratings. Service connection for hypertension has also been remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection was not established for hypertension in this decision.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000779
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 1, 2016, for the 40 percent rating assigned for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and denied a rating in excess of 40 percent.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of June 1, 1996, for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine because the Veteran did not receive notice of the initial denial in 1996 and his claim remained pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left and right upper extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to a service-connected lower back disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and entitlement to TDIU due to the need for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's symptoms amount to functional ankylosis.
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