The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied. His claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 20 percent disability rating for his neurological deficits in the right lower extremity is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, and there was no evidence of favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. The Veteran's range of motion was noted to be limited by pain but not significantly affected by repetitive use.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc changes and narrowing of L4-5 (lumbar spine disability), neurological deficits in the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2014
- Citation
- 1425266
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 1425266.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Granted
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