The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the lumbar spine disability from January 23, 2020, to August 2, 2022, and a 50 percent disability rating since August 3, 2022. The Veteran was also awarded an effective date of February 15, 2018, for the service connection of an unspecified anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The increase in the lumbar spine disability became factually ascertainable on January 23, 2020, and August 3, 2022, which corresponded to the effective dates granted by the Board.
- Claimed conditions
- status-post lumbar fusion, to include spondylosis and spondylolisthesis, unspecified anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2025
- Citation
- A25046414
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 remands the claims for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's award of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective from April 15, 2017, solely based on his unspecified anxiety disorder. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his unspecified anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 50 percent prior to October 4, 2023 and 70 percent from that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for an additional examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's unspecified anxiety disorder.
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