The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic lumbosacral strain was denied, but he received a separate compensable rating (10%) for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity since October 2, 2019.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet criteria for intervertebral disc syndrome and instead provided a separate rating based on his neurological findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic lumbosacral strain with early degenerative disease of L5-S1 region, Sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- July 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20050004
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 20050004.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 40 percent disability rating for the low back and sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, denied increased ratings for these conditions, and granted an effective date of October 11, 2022, for the award of service connection for femoral radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA benefits from March 16, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of increased disability ratings for the back and lower extremity neurological disabilities due to the need for additional development, including a new VA peripheral nerves examination.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a staged initial rating of 20 percent and no higher for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to August 10, 2016, and 40 percent from that date. The same ratings were also granted for the left lower extremity.
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