The Veteran's initial rating for chronic thoracolumbar strain, with degenerative joint and disc disease was granted at a 20 percent disability rating prior to February 4, 2014. From that date, the Veteran's condition is rated at 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran’s back disability would impact his ability to work during flare-ups or after repetitive use over a period of time.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic thoracolumbar strain, Degenerative joint and disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116837
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (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 19116837.
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 PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder is granted an initial 70 percent rating, but no higher. The Veteran's chronic thoracolumbar strain remains remanded for further evaluation.
- Denied
This decision denies an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent for chronic thoracolumbar strain, to include degenerative disc disease, IVDS, and status post lumbar discectomy fusion. It also denies a higher initial evaluation for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent prior to April 27, 2016, but denied any increase since that date.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks service connection for a spine disorder, which he asserts was caused by an in-service fall and heavy lifting. The case is being remanded to attempt to locate the Veteran's service treatment records at a Philadelphia warehouse and obtain his unit history records from the First Battalion Ninth Marines, First Marine Division.
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