The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his chronic lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran had mild to moderate dysfunction as a result of low back strain and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, warranting a 20 percent disability evaluation. The Board determined that the criteria for a higher evaluation were not met.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic lumbosacral strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 21, 2002
- Citation
- 0216842
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 0216842.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic lumbosacral strain and service connection for right leg condition was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for chronic lumbosacral strain and service connection for cervical, left ankle, right ankle, right shoulder, and left shoulder conditions to ensure compliance with due process.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic lumbosacral strain and denied service connection for left knee, right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, and right ear hearing loss conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted revision of the January 2007 rating decision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) to reflect a 10 percent disability rating for service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain, effective March 30, 2004.
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