The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations of his lumbar spine disability has been denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation at any point.
The deciding factor: The VA found that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability, evaluated under Diagnostic Codes 5242 and 5237, did not warrant an increased rating based on the current level of functional impairment as it did not meet the criteria for unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Lumbosacral Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2017
- Citation
- 1716561
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 1716561.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on several conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals.,The Board has not assigned a specific rating or effective date as the claims are being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional error in the denial of the Veteran's request to change his vocational rehabilitation goal from diesel technology to obtaining a music degree. The case is being remanded for further evaluation and consideration.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with effective dates set at October 18, 2023. The lumbosacral strain has also received a higher initial rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the July 2019 rating decision.
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