The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left leg radiculopathy have been granted service connection, with a rating of 40% for the lumbar spine disability since March 26, 2004. The Veteran is also rated at 10% for right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with his lumbar spine disability as of February 22, 2010. His left leg radiculopathy has been rated at 40% since May 9, 2006.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and related left leg radiculopathy have been consistently evaluated based on their severity as per the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disc bulging, L4-L5 and L5-S1, left leg radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 28, 2011
- Citation
- 1143444
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 1143444.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the restoration of entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), effective May 1, 2020. The decision was made due to procedural errors in the previous termination decisions.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back condition, left leg radiculopathy, and right leg radiculopathy as secondary to a lower back condition. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate due to his inability to dress, undress himself, keep himself clean and presentable, require frequent adjustment of prosthetic appliances, feed himself, attend to the wants of nature, or have an incapacity requiring assistance from others.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is related to service. The case will be returned for further action.
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