The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with DDD was rated at 40% effective May 10, 2017. The increased rating for sciatica of the LLE and RLE from November 3, 2014 onwards is denied.,The Veteran’s claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent prior to May 10, 2017 was denied as his forward flexion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations found that the Veteran's sciatica symptoms were moderate from November 3, 2014 onwards, which does not warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code (DC) 8720.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD), sciatica of the left lower extremity, sciatica of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189360
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · 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 19189360.
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 service connection for depressive disorder, cervical strain (claimed as cervical spine condition), lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, tinnitus, endometriosis, female sexual arousal disorder, and urinary frequency. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are supported by medical evidence linking them to her military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition, sciatica of the bilateral lower extremities, and bilateral hips due to outstanding VA records. The Veteran's treatment records from Fayetteville VAMC need to be re-associated with the claims file.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him substantially confined to his dwelling and immediate premises prior to his death, granting entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status for accrued purposes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a teeth disability, sciatica of the right lower extremity, and sciatica of the left lower extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional development.
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