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Denied

The VA denied a request for an increased evaluation for the veteran's chronic lumbar syndrome, currently rated at 40 percent. The RO found that there was no evidence of severe limitation of motion or other disabling symptoms warranting a higher rating prior to October 28, 2002.

The deciding factor: The VA determined that the veteran did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent under Diagnostic Codes 5292 and 5295 due to lack of severe limitation of motion or other disabling symptoms.

Claimed conditions
Chronic Lumbar Syndrome with History of Lumbar Strain Injury
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
40%
Decision date
January 26, 2006
Citation
0602213

Veterans Law Judge

THOMAS J. DANNAHER

Decisions by this judge: 1,377 · Granted: 17% (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 0602213.

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

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