The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was not rated higher than 20 percent prior to May 1, 2018.,Starting from May 1, 2018, the Veteran is entitled to a rating of no more than 60 percent for his lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The November 2018 VA examination found that the Veteran had incapacitating episodes as defined by the pertinent regulation due to IVDS with total duration of at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease with lumbar strain and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20075778
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 20075778.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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- Denied
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- Granted
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