The Veteran's low back condition is rated at 20 percent, effective September 1998.,The Veteran's left leg radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement is rated at 40 percent, effective July 7, 2017.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s low back condition disability picture more nearly approximated the criteria for a 20 percent rating due to limitation of motion and occasional use of a cane. For his left leg radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement, the Board determined that a 40 percent rating was warranted based on moderate intermittent pain and loss of reflexes.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back strain, Left leg radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20032864
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 20032864.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for low back strain, left shoulder, and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) based on evidence showing a causal relationship to in-service events or injuries.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed because the March 2020 rating decision, which granted service connection for a low back strain, was never issued and therefore not an appealable decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for his service-connected low back strain was denied, as the current severity of his condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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