The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back disability warrants a 40 percent evaluation, effective from the date of the decision.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examination and other evidence showed significant low back pain with radiating symptoms, degenerative changes in the lumbosacral spine, and nerve root encroachment. The veteran's current symptoms are considered to be due to his service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic low back pain, Right radicular component
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 23, 2004
- Citation
- 0416356
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 464 · Granted: 21% (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 0416356.
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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran is not eligible for benefits under VA's PCAFC program as he does not require personal care services due to inability to perform ADLs or need for supervision, protection, or instruction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development to address issues related to a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to December 21, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter, for residuals of a fracture of the L2 vertebra with chronic low back pain. The propriety of the separately assigned rating for RLE radiculopathy is also remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for payment of non-VA medical services provided to the Veteran on November 30, 2015, due to lack of prior authorization and because the treatment was not in response to a medical emergency. The VA facility was feasibly available.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury or disease.
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