The VA has granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected chronic low back strain with degenerative changes, effective from January 31, 2001.
The deciding factor: The VA found that the veteran's symptoms, as evidenced by his physical examination and medical records, warranted a 20 percent evaluation based on moderate limitation of motion in the lumbar spine due to pain, muscle spasm on extreme forward bending, and slight loss of lateral spine motion.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back strain, degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2003
- Citation
- 0303240
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,055 · Granted: 31% (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 0303240.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for his lumbar spine disability has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as there was no unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes of IVDS.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that there was no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis and thus not warranting a higher rating.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an extension of a temporary total evaluation based on the need for convalescence due to his service-connected left great toe hallux valgus and degenerative joint disease has been dismissed because this issue was already decided by the Board in January 2026.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an error in providing notice of a pre-decisional hearing, and the Veteran is entitled to such a hearing before the AOJ.
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