The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease with spinal fusion, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a direct link between the Veteran's disabilities and his military service due to consistent reports of ongoing symptoms since service and supporting medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine degenerative joint disease (DJD), degenerative disc disease with spinal fusion (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25023870
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 907 · Granted: 35% (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 A25023870.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings for cervical spine DJD, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar DJD, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied higher ratings for right hip limitation of flexion and extension.
- Denied
The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities, migraine headaches, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, and posttraumatic stress disorder at any point during the appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 15, 2022 for the increased rating of 40 percent for low back pain and August 7, 2023 for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's right fifth distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) fusion with severe joint space narrowing of the right hand is granted as service connected. The Board finds all three elements of service connection are satisfied, including the in-service injury and continuity of symptomatology.
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