The Veteran's back disability is granted an increased rating of 20 percent from August 17, 2015. The appeal for higher ratings and other issues are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows a factually ascertainable increase in severity of the Veteran's back disability on August 17, 2015, but no earlier, as evidenced by forward flexion limited to 50 degrees.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with disc protrusions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 13, 2024
- Citation
- 24032921
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,044 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24032921.
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.
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The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with disc protrusions, finding that the evidence is sufficient to establish a current disability and its relationship to service.
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- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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