The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine and associated radiculopathy have been rated at 10% prior to December 22, 2017, and at 40% thereafter. The claim for TDIU has been denied prior to December 22, 2017, but granted from that date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine resulted in forward flexion of no worse than 80 degrees prior to December 22, 2017, and no worse than 20 degrees thereafter. The radiculopathy was rated based on moderate symptoms in both lower extremities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity femoral nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- June 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19146906
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · Granted: 21% (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 19146906.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability, including DDD of the lumbar spine. The current VA opinions are deemed inadequate due to their failure to consider the Veteran's lay reports of in-service injury and continuous symptomatology since service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than January 18, 2022, for the grant of initial 20 percent ratings for his low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than January 18, 2022, for the grant of initial 20 percent ratings for his right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy and bilateral lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy were denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his symptoms did not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.