The Board has granted a 10 percent initial rating for the Veteran's service-connected low back sprain prior to January 10, 2017. The appeal is denied for any higher ratings or additional separate compensable ratings.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show ankylosis of the spine and the Veteran’s range-of-motion measurements were consistent with a rating of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19166738
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,374 · 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 19166738.
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 cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, low back sprain, and bilateral pes planus.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's low back sprain preexisted service and was not aggravated by service. The degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine status post laminectomy with spinal stenosis is not related to service, and scoliosis is related to service. The right leg disability is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back sprain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current disability level.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased disability rating of 10 percent for low back sprain and a 30 percent disability rating for bilateral pes planus, effective from the date of the decision.
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