The Board denied an initial rating higher than 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on functional limitation or additional neurological impairment.
The deciding factor: The VA examination findings and clinical records do not support a conclusion of additional functional limitation or associated neurological abnormality sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc with bulging annulus fibrosus, central disc herniation, compression of the dural sac at L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 22, 2006
- Citation
- 0636392
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,464 · Granted: 14% (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 0636392.
What this means for you
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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 decided to remand the case for further development, including verifying dates of service for National Guard ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after any additional development is completed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to complex nature of the Veteran's claim and new evidence presented.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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