The Board granted a 40 percent evaluation for degenerative changes, lumbar spine with spinal and neuroforaminal stenosis from April 5, 2011 to March 21, 2014, and July 1, 2014.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported a finding that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability manifested by a forward flexion limited to 30 degrees during this period, which met the criteria for a 40 percent evaluation under the rating schedule.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes, lumbar spine with spinal and neuroforaminal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 15, 2025
- Citation
- 25012895
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (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 25012895.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected degenerative changes, lumbar spine with spinal and neuroforaminal stenosis from October 29, 2001 to March 21, 2014, and since July 1, 2014 due to insufficient evidence in the prior VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that more development is necessary prior to final adjudication of the claims on appeal, including obtaining updated VA examinations and considering functional loss due to flare-ups.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his lumbar spine disability is denied as the evidence does not show that he has had forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less, or unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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