The Veteran's claim for a 20 percent rating for DDD of the lumbar spine has been granted, effective from September 29, 2011. The TDIU claim was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examination showed that the Veteran’s forward flexion was limited to 70 degrees during a flare-up, which is consistent with a 20 percent rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 14, 2021
- Citation
- 21002556
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 21002556.
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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, arthritis of the lumbar spine, and DDD of the lumbar spine were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The medical evidence does not support a finding that these conditions pre-existed service or developed within one year post-service.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's left knee arthritis and DDD of the lumbar spine are not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle fracture.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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