The veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, given his education and work experience.
The deciding factor: The VA examination revealed that the veteran has substantial function in his lumbosacral spine and retains communication skills. His past work experience as a medical assistant, bar manager, painter, and handyman is sufficient for sedentary employment with frequent changes in position.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease, left lower extremity weakness (hamstring area)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- June 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0821434
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 0821434.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding effective dates and initial disability ratings for lumbar spine disability, right and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc and joint disease, left femoral nerve radiculopathy, right femoral nerve radiculopathy, right sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy have been granted initial disability ratings. The appeal is remanded for further consideration of the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar disability is granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, from August 2, 2012.,Separate ratings of 10 percent for LLE radiculopathy are granted from August 2, 2012, to September 24, 2015, and from August 2, 2012, to November 29, 2017.,Separate ratings of 10 percent for RLE radiculopathy are granted from August 2, 2012, to November 30, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The Veteran died from a brain tumor, but without known pathology of the brain mass, no definite determination can be made on whether the brain mass was related to military service or metastasized from his service-connected prostate cancer.
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