Service connection is granted for degenerative joint disease and spondylosis of the cervical and cervicothoracic regions, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, right sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia of right leg, left radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, right radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, posttraumatic residuals right 2nd finger, and headaches (claimed as cervicothoracic spine pain).,Service connection is denied for irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory insufficiency with dyspnea, chronic maculopapular dermatitis, and heart disorder.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions are found to be directly related to his military service. The private clinician provided reasoned opinions linking the current disorders of the back and neck to in-service injury, and that the neurological disorders of the right lower extremity and bilateral upper extremities are associated with the service-connected back and neck disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease and spondylosis of the cervical and cervicothoracic regions, Degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, Right sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia of right leg, Left radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, Right radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, Posttraumatic residuals right 2nd finger, Headaches (claimed as cervicothoracic spine pain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2024
- Citation
- A24023891
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 A24023891.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his low back disability is being remanded due to the reduction in evaluation from 40 percent to 20 percent effective May 31, 2014. The RO needs to provide updated VA treatment records and schedule a VA examination to determine the current severity of the disability.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain with spinal fusion is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied as he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause, and the evidence did not show an increase in severity of his service-connected conditions.
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