The Veteran's thoracic strain was not granted an initial compensable rating prior to November 7, 2007 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is pending.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show any degenerative changes or limitation of motion that would warrant higher ratings under the new criteria effective September 26, 2003.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic strain, mild degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2010
- Citation
- 1026965
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 1026965.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral and thoracic strains due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for cervical strain, thoracic strain, and allergic rhinitis with sinusitis, as well as a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. However, the Board granted service connection for radicular pain of both upper extremities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical strain.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for thoracic strain, finding no evidence linking the condition to the Veteran's military service. The claim for generalized anxiety disorder was remanded for further examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for low back conditions, left hip condition, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and a 50 percent rating for sinusitis as of August 22, 2022.
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