The veteran's low back strain is currently rated at 20 percent, the highest available rating under the old criteria. The new criteria do not apply as his claim was pending before the amendment.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran had flexion to 70 degrees and a combined range of motion of 165 degrees without muscle spasm or unilateral loss of lateral spine motion in the standing position, which meets the criteria for a 20 percent rating under the old Diagnostic Code 5295.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2007
- Citation
- 0712502
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 0712502.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back strain, left shoulder, and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on evidence showing a causal relationship to in-service events or injuries.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed because the March 2020 rating decision, which granted service connection for a low back strain, was never issued and therefore not an appealable decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected low back strain was denied, as the current severity of his condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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