The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease of the spine from May 31, 2018 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for gastric ulcer was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder (recurrent) previously rated as depressive reaction was denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine or the entire spine, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5235-5243. The Veteran's lumbar disability is evaluated based on limitation of motion.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain with degenerative joint disease of the spine, gastric ulcer, major depressive disorder (recurrent)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20033408
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 20033408.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of hiatal hernia and increased rating for otitis media with bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for chronic constipation, chronic kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, gastric ulcer, and hypertension due to potential exposure during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for gastrointestinal disorders including GERD, gastritis, gastric ulcer and hiatal hernia due to incomplete medical opinions and failure to consider all relevant evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, sleep apnea, gastric ulcer, and depressive disorder are granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and central nervous system disability (including syncope or pseudomeningocele) are remanded.
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