The Veteran was granted service connection for a low back disability with an effective date of January 5, 2021, and initial ratings of 70 percent for PTSD, TDIU, and DEA benefits, all effective from August 9, 2019.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms caused social and occupational impairment with deficiencies in most areas since the effective date of service connection, warranting a 70 percent rating for PTSD. The evidence also supports an effective date of August 9, 2019, for TDIU and DEA benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine with spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease, and lumbar scoliosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25033391
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since September 26, 2024.
- Dismissed
The appeal to reopen the previous denial of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed as the benefit sought has been fully granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and spinal stenosis based on the Veteran's in-service back injury and chronicity of symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, entitlement to TDIU, and special monthly compensation due to the need for additional development.
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