The Board granted increased ratings for the Veteran's low back strain and right ankle strain, as well as a TDIU prior to December 23, 2022, and an effective date of December 21, 2017, but no earlier, for DEA benefits.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's low back strain manifested in functional impairment equivalent to favorable ankylosis, and his right ankle strain had marked limitation of motion with constant pain and difficulty walking and standing for long periods of time.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right ankle strain, left ear hearing loss disability, depressive disorder with moderate tobacco use disorder, left ankle disability (remanded), lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy (left and right) (remanded)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25020001
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · 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 A25020001.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle strain and right foot condition, finding no current disability related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial compensable ratings for his bilateral hip/thigh and right ankle conditions require additional medical examination to determine their current severity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the cases due to an incomplete record and a need for additional information regarding applications filed prior to March 9, 2020.
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