The Board granted a 40 percent evaluation for the veteran's degenerative disc disease, residuals of low back injury with radiculopathy left lower extremity, effective from September 23, 2002. The rating is based on incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least six weeks during the past 12 months.
The deciding factor: The veteran's condition met the criteria for an increased evaluation under the revised intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) criteria effective September 23, 2002, due to the presence of incapacitating episodes with a total duration of at least six weeks during the past 12 months.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, residuals of low back injury with radiculopathy left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2005
- Citation
- 0500159
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 0500159.
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 appeal for an increased rating for left hip, the claims for entitlement to an earlier effective date and an increased rating for right knee strain, and the appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left shoulder strain were dismissed. The claim for a 40 percent rating from June 24, 2021 for degenerative disc disease was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability as secondary to a cervical spine disability due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and scoliosis, but remanded the other issues.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease, effective November 21, 2022.
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