The Veteran's lumbago with disc bulge at L3 L4 and L4 L5 was granted a rating of 40 percent effective as of February 28, 2018. A separate 10 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity associated with this condition is also granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability resulted in forward flexion limited to 25 degrees and mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, warranting a 40 percent rating as of February 28, 2018. The separate rating for radiculopathy is also granted.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbago, disc bulge at L3 L4 and L4 L5, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- May 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19135362
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · 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 19135362.
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 Board has dismissed all service connection claims and rating determinations due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to a failure to provide adequate reasons or bases in the November 2024 decision as to whether the pre-decisional duty to assist had been satisfied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision denying eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is not supported by adequate reasoning and must be remanded to allow for a thorough review, including obtaining medical opinions on whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the PCAFC program.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities due to conflicting information in the VA-contracted examination report, which requires clarification on the current severity of the service-connected disabilities without considering diabetic neuropathy. The Veteran is not service-connected for diabetic neuropathy.
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