The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his back disability was denied. The current rating of 20 percent is the highest allowed under VA guidelines.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating, as it was limited to 50 degrees during flare-ups and no ankylosis was found.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2023
- Citation
- 23066253
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 23066253.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as service-connected due to in-service vehicle accidents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. A new VA examination will be scheduled to determine the severity of his condition, including during flare-ups.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as moot due to the concurrent grant of service connection in a previous rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral strain, is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right hip, left hip, and back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active-duty service. The VA medical opinion found no credible evidence that the current disabilities are related to in-service events or injuries.
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