The Veteran's back disability resulted in a schedular rating of 20 percent prior to July 15, 2011. The claim for an increased rating is granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran had antalgic gait and pain during this period, which met the criteria for a 20% disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Back injury, Degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141749
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 18141749.
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.
- Denied
The appeal for an increased rating for left hip, the claims for entitlement to an earlier effective date and an increased rating for right knee strain, and the appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left shoulder strain were dismissed. The claim for a 40 percent rating from June 24, 2021 for degenerative disc disease was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability as secondary to a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's character of discharge and service connection claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and scoliosis, but remanded the other issues.
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