The veteran's claims for increased ratings for a lumbar spine disability, skin condition, and headaches were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent under the old criteria and not higher due to lack of findings of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes. The skin condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as it affected less than 5% of exposed areas and had intermittent systemic therapy within a year. Headaches were rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum under current criteria.
The deciding factor: The veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on the severity of symptoms or medical findings provided in the records.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, skin condition, migraines
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2006
- Citation
- 0637823
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 684 · Granted: 25% (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 0637823.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
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