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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for lumbosacral strain was denied, and her claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status was also denied.

The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a higher rating for the service-connected lumbosacral strain due to lack of objective findings. The Veteran's chronic pain and difficulty walking were related to other conditions unrelated to her back, such as left hip fracture, bone cancer, and failure to thrive.

Claimed conditions
lumbosacral strain, left hip fracture, bone cancer (left shoulder), failure to thrive
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
January 7, 2020
Citation
20001129

Veterans Law Judge

JAMES L. MARCH

Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · 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 20001129.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

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.

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