The veteran's low back pain and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity do not meet the criteria for ratings higher than 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
The deciding factor: The veteran's range of motion was limited to primarily 40 degrees with one instance of limitation to 80 degrees, which falls most appropriately within the 20 percent rating category. The neurologic symptoms were rated as mild incomplete paralysis, warranting a 10 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back pain, status post hemilaminectomy of the lumbosacral spine, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 6, 2008
- Citation
- 0814878
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (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 0814878.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to diabetes mellitus, have resulted in loss of use of both lower extremities. The Board has granted eligibility for specially adapted housing and dismissed the claim for a special home adaptation grant as moot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring clarification on whether the Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is early-onset and if it is related to Agent Orange exposure during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper and lower extremities due to herbicide agent exposure, as there is a pre-decisional duty to assist error that occurred prior to the date of the AOJ decision on appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both the right and left lower extremities, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
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