The Board granted the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back strain with degenerative changes and left S1 radiculopathy, but denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The effective date of compensation for left S1 radiculopathy was not addressed as it pertained to an earlier effective date issue.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records supported the veteran's claims, with findings consistent with his reported symptoms and limitations.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Strain with Degenerative Changes, Left S1 Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 2, 2007
- Citation
- 0706173
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 0706173.
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 Board has remanded four issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities: PTSD, low back strain with degenerative changes, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and recurrent right ankle sprain. The remand requires VA to obtain treatment records from the Taylor Street Vet Center in Washington, D.C., and to schedule the Veteran for examinations by appropriate clinicians to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD symptoms cause occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks.,Low back strain with degenerative changes causes loss of forward flexion to 90 degrees prior to September 20, 2019 and to 60 degrees thereafter.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The decision found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating, while his low back strain with degenerative changes was rated at 20 percent from May 1, 2007. The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 6, 2013, was also denied.
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