The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy was denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability did not result in forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, and there were no evidence of ankylosis.,The May 2015 VA examination showed right lower extremity radiculopathy characterized by moderate incomplete paralysis of the right sciatic nerve, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The May 2015 VA examination also showed left lower extremity radiculopathy characterized by mild incomplete paralysis of the left sciatic nerve, which did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189357
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · 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 19189357.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease prior to August 1, 2025 was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to March 10, 2025 were denied as there is no neurological impairment associated with these conditions.
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