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Granted

The Veteran's service-connected thoracic and lumbar spine strain was granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent as of May 31, 2013. The condition is manifested by flexion limited to approximately 35 degrees on flare-ups.

The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms were significantly impacted by her range of motion being further limited due to flare-ups and prolonged standing, sitting, driving, and ambulation.

Claimed conditions
Thoracic and lumbar strain, Degenerative disc disease, Retrolisthesis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
20%
Decision date
August 14, 2015
Citation
1534743

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 1534743.

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.

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