The Veteran's initial claim of a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was granted, with an effective date of May 29, 2006. The Board remanded the case multiple times and in August 2013, he was assigned a 40 percent rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability since January 14, 2013.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated based on its current manifestations, with no evidence of ankylosis or intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) other than what was already separately rated. The pain and limitation in motion have remained consistent over time.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- July 28, 2016
- Citation
- 1630274
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 1630274.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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