The Veteran's lumbar and thoracic spine disability is granted a 40% rating effective March 7, 2018. The claims for higher ratings prior to March 7, 2018 and June 22, 2017 are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's lumbar and thoracic spine disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a rating in excess of 40% from March 7, 2018 onwards.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar and thoracic spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19127747
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19127747.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, finding that the Veteran's current back condition was incurred due to his military airborne duties.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and lumbar and thoracic spine disability have all been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or chronicity of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar and thoracic spine disability, a sciatic nerve disability (secondary to the lumbar and thoracic spine disability), and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision on the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is pending at the RO.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, head injury, cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar and thoracic spine disabilities, gastrointestinal problems (gastritis and GERD), bronchitis, essential benign tremor, and bladder dysfunction. The decision found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence of a current disability or a link between his in-service exposure and any diagnosed conditions.
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