The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability, characterized as L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 bulging discs, warrants a 20 percent evaluation effective January 18, 2000.
The deciding factor: The findings associated with the veteran's low back disability approximate no more than moderate symptoms of intervertebral disc syndrome with recurring attacks under the rating criteria in effect prior to September 23, 2002. Under the revised criteria effective September 23, 2002, the chronic orthopedic and neurologic manifestations associated with the veteran's disability approximate no more than slight limitation of motion of the lumbar spine and moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve.
- Claimed conditions
- L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 bulging discs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2003
- Citation
- 0301548
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,377 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0301548.
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
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