The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability and granted a rating of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability prior to February 8, 2022, but denied an increased rating from that date.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's psychiatric disability had its onset in service, and his lumbar spine disability approximated limitation of flexion to 30 degrees prior to February 8, 2022, but did not approximate unfavorable ankylosis thereafter.

Claimed conditions

Psychiatric disability, diagnosed as an adjustment disorder with depressed mood and anxiety

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 25, 2025

Citation

25014294

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine