The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability was denied. Prior to March 6, 2019, the disability rating remained at 10 percent. On and after March 6, 2019, a higher rating of 20 percent was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms did not meet or exceed the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease (lumbar spine disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19163289
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,762 · Granted: 24% (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 19163289.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right knee and lumbar spine disabilities but granted a 30% rating for essential tremors in the right upper extremity. The claims for service connection for headaches, a right shoulder disorder, and bilateral hearing loss were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is seeking a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability due to muscle spasms and reduced movement. The Board has found that the December 7, 2022 initial rating decision did not consider all relevant evidence and thus remands the case for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than March 20, 2019 for service connection for lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 25, 2019 for service connection for left knee disability is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent, while the right lower extremity radiculopathy was rated at 10 percent prior to September 12, 2017, and 20 percent thereafter.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.