The Veteran's low back disability, including L4-L5 disc disease and degenerative joint disease with radiculopathy of both sides, has been rated at 60 percent since September 2002. The current rating reflects the severity of his symptoms without requiring additional evaluations for other conditions or disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis, and thus remains at 60 percent as per the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- L4-L5 disc disease, degenerative joint disease (DJD), radiculopathy of both sides
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2009
- Citation
- 0920868
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 0920868.
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 the Veteran's claims for initial ratings of her left shoulder strain and cervical spine disability due to new evidence or further clarification from the AOJ.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, DJD, from December 17, 1997 to June 3, 2022, and the effective date for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy was also set at December 17, 1997. However, a higher rating or TDIU was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claim for service connection for a left knee condition (to include patellofemoral syndrome and DJD) is remanded for readjudication, as new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim.
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