The Board denied the veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.
The deciding factor: The VA examination findings and medical history provided no evidence to warrant a higher evaluation than the current 20 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 25, 2005
- Citation
- 0514357
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 0514357.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral ankle disability. However, these issues are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.
- Dismissed
The appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and TDIU prior to July 2, 2008. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claim that his current low back disability was related to service.
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