The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability has been granted, with the assigned rating of 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran had forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less when considering relevant range of motion findings in addition to evidence of additional functional impairment on repeated use over time or during flare-ups, which more nearly approximated the criteria for a 20 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, dyslipidemia, cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder and arm osteoarthritis, right elbow osteoarthritis, right wrist osteoarthritis, bilateral hip osteoarthritis, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, bilateral ankle osteoarthritis, bilateral foot osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, psychiatric disability (depression, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD), prostate disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1630438
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 1630438.
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's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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