The Board has granted a disability rating of 40 percent for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disorder, effective February 1, 2005.
The deciding factor: The VA examination and medical records showed that the veteran's back disorder had worsened since his last evaluation, warranting an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- mood disorder with depression, lumbosacral spine, status post myofascial strain with degenerative disc disease at L5/S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 30, 2006
- Citation
- 0609169
Veterans Law Judge
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 0609169.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for a psychiatric disability, to include mood disorder with depression. The claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities and sleep apnea were readjudicated based on new evidence, while the claim for back disability was not supported by new evidence.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for multiple sclerosis with mood disorder and dementia has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his service-connected disabilities and his current mood disorder with depression.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for mood disorder with depression and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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