The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is rated at 10 percent prior to March 28, 2014 and at 40 percent thereafter. The appeal was granted as the disability meets the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed that from March 28, 2014, the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis manifested in forward flexion limited to 30 degrees and painful motion, weakness, excess fatigability, and flare-ups. This meets the criteria for a 40 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 1, 2015
- Citation
- 1513993
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 1513993.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found the eligibility determination for PCAFC enrollment to be legally inadequate and remanded for a new medical opinion that adequately addresses the criteria for eligibility as set forth in VA regulations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis as secondary to bilateral pes planus due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of contemporaneous medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease are currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Veteran's RLE sciatic radiculopathy has been dismissed due to untimely filing.
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