The VA has determined that the veteran is individually unemployable due to service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and right foot drop, and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: VA found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, right foot drop
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- March 2, 2004
- Citation
- 0405641
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,038 · Granted: 30% (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 0405641.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and right lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve, effective January 12, 2024. Attorney fees are eligible based on past due benefits awarded in this decision.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and PTSD), and Parkinson's disease. The conditions are presumed to be due to exposure in service.,Service connection is established for all four claimed conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence supporting the conditions prior to August 4, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence and concluding that the Veteran's back condition did not manifest during service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.