The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to limited range of motion and no indication of more severe symptoms.,RLE radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, while LLE radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent. The Board determined these ratings are appropriate given the mild severity of the Veteran's symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s back disability was found to have flexion limited to 55 degrees with no additional limitation due to pain, weakness, incoordination, fatigability on repetition, during flare-ups, or following repeated use over a period of time. The Board considered all pertinent disability factors and determined that the Veteran is not entitled to a higher schedular rating based on his back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004512
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20004512.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address the severity of his low back disability, including whether he has experienced incapacitating episodes of IVDS.
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