The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 20 percent for residuals of a lumbosacral spine injury is denied.,The Veteran's request for an effective date prior to December 13, 2010, for a 20 percent rating for residuals of a lumbosacral spine injury is also denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran’s back disability worsened between the effective date of his current 20 percent rating and March 2010, which is one year prior to his March 2011 claim for increase.,The January 2008 rating decision did not contain CUE.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20030354
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 20030354.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an unresolved claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision, which is necessary before considering the earlier effective date for the lumbosacral spine disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the January 2014 VA examination was inadequate, and remanded to obtain additional records and an updated examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbosacral spine injury residuals do not result in ankylosis of the spine, and radiculopathy is not etiologically related to his service-connected disability. As a result, he does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine injury, and instructed the RO to obtain any additional evidence from the veteran. The case is remanded for further development.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.