The Veteran's lower back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to limitation of motion.,The Veteran's left upper extremity impairment and left lower extremity impairment are both currently rated at 30 percent and 20 percent respectively. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the assignment of a higher disability rating as the Veteran's range of motion in his lower back is limited to greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees, which corresponds to the current 20 percent rating under DC 5237.
- Claimed conditions
- Lower Back Strain, Left Upper Extremity Impairment, Residual of Stroke, Left Lower Extremity Impairment, Residual of Stroke
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19179741
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,762 · Granted: 24% (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 19179741.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 has accepted the October 2019 VA Form 9 as timely and will proceed with a decision on the merits of the service connection claims under the legacy review system.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's TDIU is denied as the earliest effective date allowable for the grant of a TDIU is January 28, 2021 due to service connection for PTSD.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as her conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for PTSD, TBI, hernia residuals, bilateral knee conditions, and lower back strain have been remanded. The Veteran also has a pending request to increase his ratings for hearing loss and seborrheic dermatitis, as well as a request for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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