An effective date of May 22, 2019, but no earlier, is granted for the award of service connection for fibromyalgia.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his fibromyalgia is denied as the highest schedular rating available (40%) has been assigned and there is no basis for extraschedular consideration.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lower back condition is denied. The current 20% rating is the highest schedular rating available based on forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine being greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined to be May 22, 2019, as this is when the Veteran first submitted a claim for fibromyalgia.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia rating of 40% is considered the highest schedular rating available and there is no basis for an extraschedular evaluation.,The lower back condition does not meet the criteria for an increased rating as forward flexion was greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees, which is within the range that warrants a 20% rating.
- Claimed conditions
- fibromyalgia, lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24063400
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 A24063400.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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