The veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with early degenerative changes was initially rated at 20 percent disabling. Beginning July 3, 2003, the disability is now rated as 40 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: Medical evidence showed that the veteran's forward flexion of his thoracolumbar spine was limited to 30 degrees beginning July 3, 2003, which approximated a higher initial rating of 40 percent under the new criteria for evaluating intervertebral disc syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with early degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 31, 2006
- Citation
- 0627629
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,613 · Granted: 30% (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 0627629.
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
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