The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and he has been successfully employed as an insurance contractor since 2009.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's self-employment as a financial advisor is consistent with his education and experience, despite the need for accommodations in a protected environment due to his disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- L5 to S1 interlaminar laminectomy and discectomy, spondylosis, L4-L5 and S1 radiculopathy, right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22001283
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,432 · Granted: 29% (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 22001283.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine discogenic disease status post surgery, spondylosis, and facet arthropathy as secondary to his service-connected right ankle disability. The SMC claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as spondylosis and sacroiliitis with degenerative changes, had its onset during his period of INACDUTRA. As such, service connection is granted.
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