The Board has granted a 40 percent disability rating for the veteran's sciatica of the left lower extremity, effective September 23, 2002. The veteran's low back disability claim includes complaints and contentions with respect to both orthopedic and neurologic symptomatology.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports consistently indicated moderate neurological impairment in the left leg, including decreased sensation and muscle weakness, which met the criteria for a 40 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 8520 (sciatica of the lower extremity).
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain, L5-S1 right sciatic neuropathy, sciatica of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0605587
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 granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right leg sciatica with radiculopathy pain and paresthesia, but denied increased ratings for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, left wrist limitation of motion with ganglion cyst, and service connection for headaches, unspecified. Several issues were remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a disability rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus and a rating greater than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, but granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.
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