The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to April 28, 2017 for the grant of a 20 percent evaluation for thoracolumbar strain (back disability) is granted. The effective date is set at August 17, 2016.
The deciding factor: The March 2017 rating decision did not become final due to new and material evidence received within one year of the decision, which included a June 2017 VA examination that supported an entitlement to a higher rating. The Board found in favor of granting an earlier effective date of August 17, 2016 for the grant of a 20 percent evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar strain (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2021
- Citation
- A21019872
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 A21019872.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete testing and lack of specific opinions regarding functional loss, flare-ups, ankylosis, and radiculopathy.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the issues of initial ratings higher than 10 percent for right and left ankle strains prior to December 20, 2019. The issue of a higher rating for thoracolumbar strain (back disability) prior to December 20, 2019 is remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his thoracolumbar strain, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain prior to December 20, 2019 due to inadequate previous examinations.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it is related to in-service noise exposure.,A 10 percent disability rating for thoracolumbar strain prior to February 19, 2018, was granted based on the current evidence of record.
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