The Veteran's lumbar strain has been granted a 20 percent evaluation, effective February 21, 2017. The Board also remanded several service connection claims for further review.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran’s thoracolumbar spine had forward flexion of greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees after repetitive use over time, which satisfied the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, joint and muscle pain, chronic fatigue, respiratory disorder, diverticulitis, stomach disorder, erectile dysfunction, cysts, headaches, allergic rhinitis, hypertension, urinary tract condition, psoriasis, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, cervical spine disability, arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, arthritis of the bilateral knees
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21003580
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 21003580.
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 denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, hearing loss, painful scar, patellofemoral pain syndromes of the knees, and other conditions.
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