The Veteran's claim for a restoration of the 20% rating for lumbar spine degenerative disk disease is granted, subject to payment laws and regulations. The claim for a rating in excess of 20% for lumbar spine degenerative disk disease is denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 10% for right knee degenerative joint disease with chondromalacia patella is denied. The claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) is denied.
The deciding factor: The reduction from 20% to 10% was improper as the evidence did not demonstrate actual improvement in the Veteran's back disability under ordinary conditions of life and work during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disk disease, right knee degenerative joint disease with chondromalacia patella
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19115637
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 19115637.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board is requesting additional examinations and medical opinions to determine if his back condition and acquired psychiatric disorders are related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to a duty to assist error in the prior VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of hypertension is remanded. The Board needs a new medical opinion to determine if the veteran's hypertension is related to their service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disk disease, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The VA determined that the Veteran's conditions did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine condition or any initial rating above 10 percent for either lower extremity radiculopathy.
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