Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Spinal Injuries

CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law

If you suffered a spinal injury during your military service, you may be eligible for disability compensation. Unfortunately, recovering any compensation you may be entitled to can be a difficult process.

The veterans disability attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick can help you pursue VA disability benefits for spinal injuries. We have dedicated our careers to helping injured veterans get any disability benefits they may be entitled to; we may be able to help you too.

How Do Veterans Establish Service Connection for a Spinal Injury?

To receive VA disability benefits for any condition, veterans must establish that the condition was caused or aggravated by their service, a requirement known as service connection.

The most important part of a VA claim for service connection is proving a nexus, which is a link between an event during your military service and your current disability. To establish this link, veterans must:

• Provide a current diagnosis of their spinal injury.
• Present evidence of a specific event from their military service that led to the injury.
• Obtain a medical opinion, or nexus, that links the event and the injury.

The more thorough the veteran is with all three steps, the better chance they have of VA granting their claim, and the more they may be eligible to receive in monthly compensation benefits.

Current Diagnosis

The veteran must first submit evidence of a diagnosed spinal condition. Some examples of spinal injuries that are eligible for disability benefits include:

• Lumbosacral or cervical strain
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Vertebral fracture or dislocation

Even if your diagnosis is not on this list, you can still pursue any benefits to which you may be entitled for your diagnosed condition.

Evidence of Event in Service

Veterans must also submit evidence of a specific injury, illness, or event during their military service that caused or contributed to their current disability.

The CCK team will examine your military personnel and medical records closely to find any evidence of a connection to service that VA may have overlooked. This could be an injury during combat, a training drill that involved heavy lifting, or another strenuous or hazardous activity.

We may supplement this evidence with lay statements from you or your fellow service members about an injury or event that occurred during your service. We will then submit this evidence with a supplemental legal argument to present a thorough case to VA on your behalf.

Linking Medical Opinion

Most importantly, veterans will typically need an opinion from a medical professional that links the in-service injury, illness, or event with their current disability. Based on the details of their condition, CCK can identify the best possible medical expert to provide this opinion and present it to VA in a way that clarifies the injury’s connection to service.

Watch CCK Law Partner Christian McTarnaghan and Supervising Attorney Alyse Phillips explain what veterans need to know about VA claims for back pain:

How Much VA Compensation Can Veterans Receive for a Spinal Injury?

VA provides varying levels of compensation based on the severity of your disability and how significantly it impacts your life. When reviewing your claim, VA rates your disability from 0 to 100 percent. The higher your rating, the higher your monthly disability payments.

VA Disability Rating Levels and Compensation Amounts for Spinal Injury

As of 2026, the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows:

• 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month
• 10 percent disability rating: $180.42 per month
• 20 percent disability rating: $356.66 per month
• 30 percent disability rating: $552.47 per month
• 40 percent disability rating: $795.84 per month
• 50 percent disability rating: $1,132.90 per month
• 60 percent disability rating: $1,435.02 per month
• 70 percent disability rating: $1,808.45 per month
• 80 percent disability rating: $2,102.15 per month
• 90 percent disability rating: $2,362.30 per month
• 100 percent disability rating: $3,938.58 per month

A disability rating of 30 percent or higher qualifies you to receive additional benefits for dependent family members, such as your spouse and children, and even parents if they live with you and depend on you financially.

How Does VA Determine the Rating for a Spinal Injury?

VA bases disability ratings for spinal injuries on range of motion (ROM) measurements. The more restricted your ROM is, the higher rating you will receive. For instance, if your entire spine is frozen in an unfavorable position (i.e., ankylosis), you meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating. If you have 60- to 85-degree forward flexion in your thoracolumbar spine, you meet the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating.

Learn More or Contact CCK Law