The Veteran's thoracolumbar strain was found to not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 15, 2016 and in excess of 40 percent from that date. The Board denied the claim for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis or functional loss due to pain, weakness, fatigue, or lack of coordination that would support a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2018
- Citation
- 1803691
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1803691.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the appellant's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including cervical strain, elbow and knee conditions, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, thoracolumbar strain, and GERD. The effective date is set at September 13, 2023.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Board Appeal request was not timely filed with respect to the rating decision issued on October 21, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous instructions. The Veteran's thoracolumbar strain and degenerative arthritis, cervical strain, and LLE radiculopathy cases are still pending for higher evaluations.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar strain, effective from January 24, 2014. The decision is based on evidence of functional equivalent to unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
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