The Veteran's service-connected Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) of the thoracolumbar spine and right sciatic nerve impairment have been granted, with a staged initial rating of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran had IVDS with symptoms including pain in his lower back and mild radiculopathy affecting the right leg. The Veteran did not meet criteria for higher ratings due to lack of incapacitating episodes over the past year, but was granted a staged initial rating based on current symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) of the thoracolumbar spine, right sciatic nerve impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19108888
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19108888.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for several service-connected conditions, except for a 80 percent rating for left sciatic nerve radiculopathy and 20 percent ratings for right lower radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerve, both effective from June 1, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development related to his skin disability and scar of the right foot.,His claim for a compensable rating for ankylosis, fibrous, partial of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the second toe, right foot, and his claim for service connection for a skin disability (to include fungal infection/tinea corporis) are also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hyperhidrosis and assigned a 20% initial evaluation. The Veteran's IVDS is rated at 20%, and his right sciatic nerve impairment is also rated at 20%.
- 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.
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