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Granted

For the period starting January 21, 2010 and ending May 28, 2015, the Veteran's lumbar strain and myositis were rated at 40 percent.,Starting May 29, 2015, a higher rating for lumbar strain and myositis was denied.

The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran’s back disability had forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less from January 21, 2010 to May 28, 2015, which is consistent with a 40 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

Claimed conditions
Lumbar Strain and Myositis, Anxiety Disorder
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
40%
Decision date
April 9, 2019
Citation
19127108

Veterans Law Judge

STEVEN D. REISS

Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (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 19127108.

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

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