The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD with IVDS and associated right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted service connection effective August 15, 2014. A rating of 40 percent was assigned from August 15, 2014 to July 9, 2017 for the lumbar spine DDD with IVDS and separate ratings of 20 percent each were granted for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy effective August 15, 2014.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms met the criteria for a 40 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5243 due to his lumbar spine DDD with IVDS, which included forward flexion limited to 25 degrees with pain and right and left lateral flexion to 15 degrees each with pain. The separate ratings of 20 percent were assigned for the associated radiculopathy based on the criteria under Diagnostic Code 8520.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- November 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18150783
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 18150783.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
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