The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder was found to not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation prior to February 28, 2011. From February 28, 2011, he is in receipt of a 40 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examination revealed forward flexion limited to 20 degrees, which warrants a 40 percent evaluation under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. No higher schedular rating was available as the Veteran's condition did not meet criteria for ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 3, 2015
- Citation
- 1514401
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 1514401.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board restored the previous ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied higher ratings for other conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was initially rated at 10 percent and later increased to 40 percent effective August 10, 2021. The claim remains on appeal as the initial rating is still being considered.
- Denied
The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine with IVDS was denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 12, 2019.,As of November 12, 2019, a higher rating for DDD of the lumbar spine with IVDS is also denied.,A 20 percent disability rating was granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy effective November 7, 2017.,A 20 percent disability rating was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy effective February 6, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and to obtain relevant medical records. The issues include increased ratings for lumbar spine DDD with IVDS, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis.
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