The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was found to not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, and his claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show ankylosis or incapacitating episodes that would support higher ratings. The examiner also expressed doubts about the Veteran's credibility regarding his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain with osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801440
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 1801440.
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 appeal of a proposed rating reduction for lumbar strain with osteoarthritis is dismissed because the August 2023 rating decision was not a final decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar strain with osteoarthritis is granted a 20 percent evaluation, but no higher. The evaluations for left knee osteochondritis dissecans and right knee chondromalacia are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations in July 2018. The Veteran is also required to provide additional medical records.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's lumbar strain with osteoarthritis rating was reduced to 10% effective May 1, 2016, but her claim for restoration of a 40% rating is pending.
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