The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lower back disability was denied, but his service connection claim for PTSD was not addressed. The decision granted restoration of the 40 percent rating for lower back disability effective March 1, 2011.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not demonstrate an improvement in the Veteran's lower back disability that would justify a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disability, acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144688
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 18144688.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability to correct a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist, specifically to obtain an adequate VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's asserted in-service stressors.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding it to be etiologically related to the Veteran's active service. The claims for service connection for a left hip disability, lower back disability, and cervical spine disability were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his service and has progressively worsened since separation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD, effective March 8, 2023, but no earlier. Other claims were denied or remanded.
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