The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 60 percent from October 18, 2016, and TDIU and SMC were granted from November 21, 2021.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the evidence of IVDS with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months, which met the criteria for a 60 percent rating. TDIU and SMC were granted due to the Veteran's unemployability and additional service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back degenerative joint and disc disease with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2025
- Citation
- 25014218
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 44% (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 25014218.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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