The Board has restored the 20 percent rating for the service-connected lumbosacral strain (back disability) effective from June 10, 2015. The initial and increased ratings for the left knee and left ankle disabilities remain denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show actual improvement in the ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work, so the reduction was not proper.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (back disability), left knee strain (left knee disability), left ankle sprain (left ankle disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006182
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 20006182.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as service-connected due to in-service vehicle accidents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. A new VA examination will be scheduled to determine the severity of his condition, including during flare-ups.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as moot due to the concurrent grant of service connection in a previous rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right hip, left hip, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active-duty service. The VA medical opinion found no credible evidence that the current disabilities are related to in-service events or injuries.
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