The Veteran's appeal of a compensable rating for a back scar was withdrawn. A 20 percent rating, but no more, was granted for lumbar DDD prior to December 9, 2014 and March 27, 2017. The claim for a higher rating since March 27, 2017 is denied. Service connection for insomnia is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the compensable rating for a back scar. For the periods prior to and since the surgery, he was granted a 20 percent rating for lumbar DDD based on subjective complaints of pain and objective findings including consistent range of motion but no ankylosis or IVDS.
- Claimed conditions
- residual scar, abdomen and trunk, lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD), left foot disability, rheumatoid arthritis of the left foot, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21064481
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 21064481.
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
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- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
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