The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with disc protrusion was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent, effective April 8, 2013.,The Veteran's right foot disability, initially rated as non-compensable due to the scar from his bunionectomy and osteotomy, has been increased to a 10 percent rating since April 8, 2013. The claim for a higher initial rating remains denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease does not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating as his forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine is not limited to 30 degrees or less, and he does not have ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The right foot trauma warrants a 10 percent rating based on moderate severity.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease with disc protrusion, right foot, status post bunionectomy and osteotomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181497
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (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 19181497.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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