The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for DDD of the lumbar spine prior to May 31, 2017, and his TDIU claim prior to that date were both denied. The Board found insufficient evidence to support higher ratings or entitlement to TDIU.
The deciding factor: The medical records did not show sufficient impairment for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes, nor did they establish that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions prior to May 31, 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Lung cancer and its residuals including a surgical scar, left knee meniscus tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22030542
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 22030542.
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 Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, finding that his service-connected condition aggravated his nonservice-connected OSA.
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