The Veteran's initial rating for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine prior to November 28, 2012 is granted at 20 percent. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine from February 1, 2013 onwards is denied. A separate rating of 40 percent for RLE radiculopathy is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a higher than 20 percent rating for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine prior to November 28, 2012 or from February 1, 2013 onwards. The Veteran's RLE radiculopathy is rated at 40 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine, Right Lower Extremity (RLE) Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21067111
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 21067111.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his DJD of the thoracolumbar spine is being remanded due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding the functional impairment associated with his condition, without considering the beneficial effects of medication.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of March 6, 2022, for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for service-connected PTSD and 20 percent ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of service-connected bilateral hearing loss and bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy disabilities due to untimely filings or concurrent elections.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for DJD of the right hip with limitation of rotation and adduction, and higher ratings for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine.
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