The veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease and left leg sciatic radiculopathy were rated at 10 percent, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease, Left leg sciatic radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 1, 2008
- Citation
- 0814368
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left leg sciatic radiculopathy, right leg sciatic radiculopathy, and right upper extremity neuropathy due to a lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses or functional impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including lumbar degenerative disc disease and radiculopathies, as well as tinnitus, due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability, finding that her service-connected conditions do not prevent her from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of the cause of the Veteran's death to obtain a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected lower back disability and his multiple heart disabilities, including obesity.
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