The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected back disability did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed no more than three or four flare-ups per year and limited range of motion, which did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2005
- Citation
- 0500413
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,643 · Granted: 15% (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 0500413.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examinations and addendum opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected knee and back disabilities, as well as the qualifications of the November 2023 examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease and for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to September 21, 2017. The remand includes requests for additional VA examinations and for obtaining private treatment records.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for chronic low back strain with degenerative disc disease was denied. The evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms and range of motion.
- Granted
The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and he has been granted a TDIU. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his back disability.
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