The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis with cervical spine fusion and spinal stenosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left hip degenerative joint disease, and right hip degenerative joint disease, all as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis with cervical spine fusion and spinal stenosis was more likely than not due to his falls during active-duty service. For the upper extremity radiculopathy, a VA examiner found it secondary to the Veteran's cervical spine disability. For the hip disabilities, a private medical opinion established that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability aggravated his bilateral hip degenerative joint disease beyond its natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine degenerative arthritis with cervical spine fusion and spinal stenosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability, left hip degenerative joint disease, to include as secondary to the Veteran's lumbar disability, right hip degenerative joint disease, to include as secondary to the Veteran's lumbar disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25050135
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 earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA, but denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy and 40 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy.
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