The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease with lumbar disc microdiscectomy L5-S1 and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating due to the limitation of motion, and there was no adequate opinion addressing both causation and aggravation in the secondary service connection claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease with lumbar disc microdiscectomy L5-S1, Acquired psychiatric disability (recharacterized to include any acquired psychiatric condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25034111
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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