The Veteran's claim for an increased rating and earlier effective date for his lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis was denied, as well as a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher initial rating or an earlier effective date due to the limitations in the Veteran's back condition and the lack of any formal claim prior to October 22, 2008.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2024
- Citation
- 24002192
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right shoulder, lumbosacral spine, right hip, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis based on new evidence. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, left wrist, and left forearm were remanded for further consideration.
- Granted
The veteran is granted an effective date of October 22, 2008 for Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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