The reduction in disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine from 40 percent to 10 percent was improper and restored the original 40 percent rating. The increased disability rating claim for the same condition was denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show material improvement that would warrant a reduction in the disability rating, but the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine warranted restoration of the previous 40 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19131840
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 439 · Granted: 19% (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 19131840.
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 Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU due to procedural errors in the duty to assist.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee replacements, as well as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, were denied. The evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Denied
The Veteran's right thumb and hand conditions were denied initial compensable ratings.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was dismissed as it has been granted in full.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding a higher initial disability rating for the service-connected back scar and an earlier effective date for service connection. The reduction from 40% to 20% in the disability rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was found proper based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the January 2016 rating decision.
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