The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, is dismissed due to lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
The deciding factor: The grant of service connection constitutes a full grant of the benefits sought on appeal, dismissing the issue from further consideration.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2025
- Citation
- 25007634
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for separate awards of service connection for left knee instability and right knee instability.
- Granted
The Board granted disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome, 30 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and 30 percent for right knee patellar chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, but not higher.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for rhinitis, right hip strain, and left ankle strain but dismissed the claim for sinusitis as moot. The increased rating claim for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine was denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.