The Board denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's residuals of a compression fracture of T-12, currently rated at 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The disability is already evaluated at the maximum level possible based on limitation of motion and vertebral deformity.
- Claimed conditions
- Compression fracture of T-12
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2003
- Citation
- 0303308
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,710 · Granted: 15% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0303308.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of a compression fracture of T-12 did not cause or contribute to his death. However, the October 2014 VA examiner did not address whether this condition impacted other significant conditions contributing to his death. The case is being remanded for further review by an appropriate examiner.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine was granted an initial rating of 10 percent prior to July 20, 2011 and a rating of 40 percent from that date. The residuals of his T-12 fracture were also granted an initial compensable evaluation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating schedule.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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