The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, with a separate evaluation of 10 percent from August 2, 2013. The current ratings are based on the criteria set forth in VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes due to lack of incapacitating episodes, ankylosis, forward flexion limited to 60 degrees or less, combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine of 120 degrees or less, muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or contour, or functional equivalent thereof. The radiculopathy was evaluated based on its impact on the left lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19195615
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,035 · Granted: 30% (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 19195615.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
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