The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for lumbosacral strain and asthma have been denied. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain, as there is no objective evidence of muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. For asthma, the evidence does not show at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations or intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic corticosteroids.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria for lumbosacral strain and asthma.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain, asthma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23002317
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 23002317.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma and COPD, is denied as service connection is not warranted due to the condition being solely attributed to smoking.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases of sleep apnea and asthma due to a failure to provide proper notice for a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to August 14, 2023.
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