The Veteran's low back disability and sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity have been granted ratings, with the exception that a higher rating is not warranted for the latter condition prior to December 12, 2016.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran’s symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, post-operative, Sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19142331
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (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 19142331.
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 granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and disabilities manifested by functional impairment due to right and left knee pain with limited flexion as secondary conditions. The claims for increased ratings were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine and sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity as secondary to a service-connected right knee disability, but denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for intervertebral lumbar disc disease and sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
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