The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective October 29, 2012. He seeks a higher initial rating.,For the period prior to May 9, 2019, the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was rated at 20 percent. For the entire period on appeal, he seeks an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for this condition.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent and his left lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent prior to May 9, 2019. For the entire period on appeal, he seeks an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for both conditions.,The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was rated at 10 percent prior to May 9, 2019 and 20 percent thereafter. He seeks increased ratings for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a higher rating for any of the conditions based on the current criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23007540
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 23007540.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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