The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 40 percent rating effective August 2, 2014. His neck sprain received a separate 10 percent rating.,Left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted service connection and rated separately from the low back disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy manifested as early as November 24, 2014, which is when it was granted service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease with thoracolumbar spine arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome (low back disability), neck sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194444
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 882 · Granted: 17% (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 19194444.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for headaches, neck sprain, left foot disorder, and right fourth toe mallet toe as the probative evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service. The claim for chest pain was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for adjustment disorder, neck sprain and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the reduction of the disability rating for neck sprain from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective April 1, 2021, was not proper and has restored the prior 20 percent rating. The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for neck sprain is remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for neck sprain with cervical radiculopathy, finding that the current disability is directly related to a neck injury sustained during service.
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