The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for his low back disability, finding that the current 60 percent rating adequately reflects the severity and manifestations of his condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher evaluation as there was no indication of unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine or additional neurologic dysfunction warranting a separate rating. The veteran's symptoms were best represented by a 40 percent rating for chronic orthopedic manifestation and a 40 percent rating for chronic neurologic manifestation, resulting in a combined 64 percent schedular rating which was rounded to 60 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain with degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, L3-L4, L4-L5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- October 20, 2005
- Citation
- 0528325
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 0528325.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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