The Veteran's claim for a disability rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, lumbosacranal spine is granted. The claim for TDIU is also granted, effective March 1, 2013.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s forward flexion was limited to 30 degrees due to pain and functional loss, which meets the criteria for a 40 percent disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The TDIU claim is granted as the evidence shows the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable starting from March 1, 2013.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- May 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18106152
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 18106152.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral spine, with intervertebral disc disease, post lumbar fusion is rated at a 20 percent evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and pilonidal cyst are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral spine and sleep apnea, as well as his claim for TDIU. The Board found that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between the claimed conditions and service or any other service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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