The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability was granted, and an earlier effective date of October 15, 2013 for the award of a separate compensable rating for right lower extremity sciatica was also granted. The claims for increased ratings for left lower extremity sciatica and deviated nasal septum are still pending.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's discogenic disease with recurrent low back pain and spondylolisthesis at L5 on S1 more nearly approximated limitation of flexion to 30 degrees, which granted a rating of 40%.
- Claimed conditions
- Deviated Nasal Septum, Post-Traumatic, Post-Operative, Discogenic Disease, Left Lower Extremity Sciatica, Right Lower Extremity Sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19111904
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19111904.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, GERD, liver disorder, and peripheral neuropathy. The decision also noted that the Veteran's sciatica was not incurred in service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma under the PACT Act but denied service connection for GERD, right lower extremity sciatica, left lower extremity sciatica, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Bell's Palsy, bilateral hearing loss, contact dermatitis, migraines, and right lower extremity sciatica due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.
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