The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected postoperative herniated pulposus and fusion at L5-S1 with left leg numbness warrants a 40 percent disability rating, which is higher than the current 20 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports confirm the worsening of the veteran's lower back disorder, including new lumbar subluxations and worsening degenerative disc disease. The veteran's complaints of increasing lower back pain rendered him unable to continue work as a mail carrier, which supports a higher schedular rating for severe intervertebral disc disability.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative herniated pulposus and fusion at L5-S1, left leg numbness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0015822
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0015822.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back condition, left hip condition, left leg numbness, left shoulder condition, and acquired psychiatric condition (depression) as secondary to a back injury during service. The evidence did not show current disabilities or a link between these conditions and service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma from August 10, 2022, based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to burn pit smoke during his deployment in Kuwait and Afghanistan.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left leg numbness and left lower extremity neurological dysfunction as secondary to residuals of a left thigh boil removal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed disabilities as they were incurred during a period of dishonorable discharge.
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