The Veteran's back disability was rated at 10 percent prior to April 23, 2015, and increased to 20 percent thereafter. The current rating of 20 percent is appropriate as it reflects moderate limitation of motion.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations conducted in May 2007, October 2009, and April 2015 indicated that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis resulted in no more than mild limitation of lumbar spine motion prior to September 24, 2014. As of September 24, 2014, his condition was manifested by functional loss approximating moderate limitation of motion.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine with Spondylosis at L4-5 and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 22, 2016
- Citation
- 1629375
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 1629375.
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
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