The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10% prior to September 8, 2013 and at 30% from that date. The knee disabilities are each rated at 10%. These ratings have been denied.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran’s cervical spine disability was rated at 30%, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5242. Ratings in excess of this were not granted as there was no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's cervical spine or knee disabilities meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, cervical spine, Strain due to overuse syndrome, left knee, Right knee joint osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20072338
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,071 · Granted: 26% (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 20072338.
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 has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical opinions in the May 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's degenerative arthritis, cervical spine was aggravated by his service-connected degenerative disc disease lumbar spine.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right shoulder acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis, as well as a separate 20% rating for erectile dysfunction. The Board denied an increased disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II but granted service connection for bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's left long finger disability and remanded claims for service connection for left and right knee joint osteoarthritis.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.