The Board has restored a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability effective June 24, 2014. However, the issue of entitlement to a higher rating than 40 percent remains on appeal.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not demonstrate actual improvement in the Veteran’s ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work since the January 2011 VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- herniated intervertebral disc with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20003963
Veterans Law Judge
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 20003963.
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
Related decisions
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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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