The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin rash was denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability.,For the period prior to March 25, 2010, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 10 percent.,Since March 25, 2010, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 40 percent.,The initial increased rating of 20 percent prior to March 25, 2010, for left shoulder disability was granted.,Since March 25, 2010, the Veteran's left shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 30 percent.,The initial increased rating of 70 percent for PTSD throughout the appeal period was granted.,The initial increased rating of 50 percent for tension headaches was granted.

The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence diagnosing a skin rash or any functional impairment or residuals during the appeal period, and therefore service connection cannot be granted.,For the period prior to March 25, 2010, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 10 percent due to limited forward flexion (85 degrees) and combined range of motion (225 degrees), without evidence of muscle spasm or localized tenderness resulting in abnormal gait or spinal contour.,Since March 25, 2010, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 40 percent due to limited forward flexion (30 degrees) and no evidence of muscle spasm or localized tenderness resulting in abnormal gait or spinal contour.,The initial increased rating of 20 percent prior to March 25, 2010, for left shoulder disability was granted based on limitation of motion due to pain at the shoulder level.,Since March 25, 2010, the Veteran's left shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for an increased rating beyond 30 percent due to limited forward flexion (40 degrees) and no evidence of muscle spasm or localized tenderness resulting in abnormal gait or spinal contour.,The initial increased rating of 70 percent for PTSD throughout the appeal period was granted based on occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.,The initial increased rating of 50 percent for tension headaches was granted based on frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

Claimed conditions

skin rash, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder disability, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tension headaches

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 21, 2019

Citation

19187857

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 19187857.