The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and low back scar have been granted service connection, with a 20% initial rating for the lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability does not meet criteria for higher ratings due to lack of ankylosis or severe muscle spasm/contour changes.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spondylolisthesis, scar (low back), rheumatoid arthritis (not explicitly stated but implied by symptoms)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- August 28, 2015
- Citation
- 1536932
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 1536932.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal of all claims currently pending before the Board, including those for an earlier effective date for hypothyroidism and higher ratings for various conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased evaluation of lumbar spondylolisthesis due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches with vasovagal pre-syncope were granted a 50 percent rating, while the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for other conditions were denied or remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spondylolisthesis and bilateral ankle dermatitis, restored the ratings for left knee limitation of extension, left ankle degenerative joint disease (DJD), and right ankle DJD, and denied service connection for sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a right 5th finger scar, increased ratings for left knee flexion and extension, and rhinitis.
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