The veteran's claim for an increased rating and temporary total evaluations due to service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease was granted, effective September 23, 2002.
The deciding factor: The RO applied the new criteria for evaluating spine disabilities as of September 26, 2003, which resulted in a rating of 60 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease effective September 23, 2002.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2005
- Citation
- 0501673
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 999 · Granted: 31% (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 0501673.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding effective dates and initial disability ratings for lumbar spine disability, right and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease, left femoral nerve radiculopathy, right femoral nerve radiculopathy, right sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy have been granted initial disability ratings. The appeal is remanded for further consideration of the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar disability is granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, from August 2, 2012.,Separate ratings of 10 percent for LLE radiculopathy are granted from August 2, 2012, to September 24, 2015, and from August 2, 2012, to November 29, 2017.,Separate ratings of 10 percent for RLE radiculopathy are granted from August 2, 2012, to November 30, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The Veteran died from a brain tumor, but without known pathology of the brain mass, no definite determination can be made on whether the brain mass was related to military service or metastasized from his service-connected prostate cancer.
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.