The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were granted, with a rating of 20 percent assigned for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine effective June 16, 2008. The issues related to left leg radiculopathy and right leg radiculopathy have also been resolved in his favor.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided evidence that supported a higher rating based on the Veteran's current symptoms and functional limitations.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, Left leg radiculopathy, Right leg radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118671
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 19118671.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy on the basis of CUE in the February 1996 rating decision have been denied. The May 2022 rating decision is also dismissed as it failed to grant service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) due to weight gain caused by her service-connected cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar facet arthrosis, left knee disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The decision resolves all reasonable doubts in favor of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis and continuous low back symptomology since separation from service are sufficient to meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, left leg radiculopathy, bilateral restless leg syndrome, and obstructive and central sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining adequate medical opinions.
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