The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disorder is granted, with a 20% rating prior to March 5, 2018 and a 40% rating since then. The service connection claim for scabies is denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support higher ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, but granted him a 40% rating since March 5, 2018 based on his current symptoms and findings.
- Claimed conditions
- facet arthrosis and spondylosis, scabies
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19111265
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19111265.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis for any of the claimed conditions and thus, service connection is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including a rating for scabies and migraines, as well as a TDIU claim prior to July 13, 2021. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete development of records and need for medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a medical examination. The issues of TDIU are also remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition, including as due to environmental exposure (specifically burn pits), finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or environmental exposures. The Board concluded that the Veteran did not have a chronic skin disability during his military service and that any diagnosed conditions were unrelated to service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.