The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for Degenerative Disc Disease of the lumbar spine status post microdiskectomy and decompression is denied. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been productive of unfavorable ankylosis or any other criteria warranting a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The GERD claim was denied as there is no basis to grant a higher rating based on the current evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine status post microdiskectomy and decompression, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23000323
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 23000323.
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.
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The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected IBS and GERD, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
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