The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbar spine L4-5 disc disease with radiculopathy in the left leg warrants a 60 percent evaluation under the old and new schedule for rating spine disabilities.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the veteran has incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome, which resulted in significant functional impairment and required bed rest prescribed by a physician.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease at the L4-5 level, Sciatic neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- November 16, 2006
- Citation
- 0635612
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,613 · Granted: 30% (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 0635612.
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 denied higher ratings for sciatic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, finding that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 20 percent due to moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or be permanently housebound, thus SMC for aid and attendance is denied prior to June 1, 2012.
- Granted
The Veteran's sciatic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities has been manifested by symptoms mild in nature, warranting a 10 percent disability rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's increased rating claim for post-operative residuals of L4-L5 and L5-S1 disk herniation was granted, with a 10 percent disability rating. The claims for sciatic/common peroneal neuropathy were also granted, with ratings of 20 percent for the right lower extremity and 40 percent for the left lower extremity.
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