The Veteran's initial claim for higher ratings for his low back disability and associated radiculopathy was granted. He is currently assigned a 40 percent rating for the low back disability as of August 30, 2011, with noncompensable ratings for the lower extremity radiculopathies.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's forward flexion of his thoracolumbar spine was found to be less than 30 degrees since February 5, 2011, meeting the criteria for a 40 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5243-5237. The radiculopathy associated with this disability is rated separately.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability (Degenerative Disc Disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 20, 2014
- Citation
- 1428096
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 1428096.
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 service connection for a low back disability and assigned a 100% rating effective April 11, 2022. The Veteran's current low back disability is considered to have had its inception during active service.
- Granted
The veteran's low back disability, with degenerative disc disease, is rated at the highest schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5293 due to severe limitation of motion and persistent symptoms compatible with sciatic neuropathy.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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