The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is granted a 40% rating, but no higher. The ratings for left hip strain (limitation of flexion) and right hip strain (limitation of extension) are denied. Right lateral collateral ligament sprain remains remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis meets the criteria for a 40% rating based on forward flexion limited to 30 degrees during flare-ups, which corresponds to the 40% rating under Diagnostic Code 5242-5237. The ratings for left hip strain (limitation of flexion) and right hip strain (limitation of extension) do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they are both rated at their maximum of 10%. Right lateral collateral ligament sprain remains remanded due to lack of evidence supporting an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, Left hip strain, limitation of flexion, Right hip strain, limitation of extension, Right lateral collateral ligament sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 5, 2024
- Citation
- A24072058
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 964 · Granted: 37% (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 A24072058.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also remanded the claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis to obtain additional evidence.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, namely lumbar spondylosis, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and intervertebral disc syndrome as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected retropatellar syndrome, arthritis and meniscal strain, right knee.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2021, for the assignment of a 50 percent evaluation for sinusitis, a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and a 10 percent evaluation for left knee disability with instability (DC 5257). The claim for an earlier effective date than January 25, 2019, for the assignment of a 10 percent evaluation for left knee disability with limited flexion (DC 5260) was denied.
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