The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would have otherwise qualified him.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, specifically his degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, precluded him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment due to physical limitations caused by pain and medication side effects.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20055739
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 20055739.
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 determined that the VA examiner's opinion regarding service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is incomplete and requires further clarification. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service, including two claimed inservice collision injuries.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine disability, finding that there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service and no causal relationship between the current disability and any service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
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