The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40% due to severe forward flexion limited to 35 degrees with pain and objective evidence of pain, without ankylosis. The left great toe disability has been rated as moderate foot injury throughout the rating period.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability resulted in significant limitation of motion (forward flexion to no worse than 35 degrees) with associated symptoms such as pain and swelling, meeting the criteria for a 40% rating under DC 5242. The left great toe disability was rated at moderate severity.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disc disease (back disability), left great toe injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- August 25, 2016
- Citation
- 1633562
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 1633562.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's initial claim for increased ratings for left foot degenerative arthritis was denied. The appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others not.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot disability, characterized by severe hallux valgus with degenerative arthritis and hammertoes, is rated at 30 percent since June 10, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left foot condition and left great toe injury are being remanded for further evaluation as the current opinions do not address her chronic left foot pain since service separation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hepatitis, left great toe injury, abrasions and lacerations to fingers of the left hand, left hand cold weather injury, lower back disability, and colonitis due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.,Service connection was not granted as the appellant's hepatitis is attributed to his own willful misconduct involving drug use. The other conditions were found not to be related to active duty service.
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