The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine disability warrants a rating of 60 percent prior to February 19, 2001 and a rating of 40 percent thereafter. The effective date for this decision is not specified as there was no specific request for an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed that the veteran's lumbar spine disability was severe before his surgery in February 2001, warranting a 60 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5293. After May 1, 2001, there were no symptoms to support a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder with degenerative disc disease, sciatic neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 15, 2006
- Citation
- 0617555
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 0617555.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The case was remanded for additional development, including a current examination to address the nature and severity of the Veteran's sciatic neuropathy.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral foot condition, chronic neurological condition, lumbosacral spine disorder, degenerative disc disease, and sciatic neuropathy as there was no evidence of a current disability that was causally or etiologically related to active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for sciatic neuropathy and diabetes mellitus, as well as his claim for an increased rating for chronic cervical spine strain. The veteran's cervical spine disability was evaluated at a 20% rating based on its range of motion.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his service-connected lumbar strain and sciatic neuropathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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