The Veteran's back disability is granted a 40% rating from December 21, 2015 to January 16, 2019. The right and left lower extremity radiculopathies are each rated at 20%. The right and left ankle disabilities remain at 10%.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability was found to have limitation of flexion to 30 degrees or less, which meets the criteria for a 40% rating under Diagnostic Code 5243. The radiculopathies were rated as 20% due to moderate incomplete paralysis of the affected nerves. The ankle disabilities remained at 10%.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23019018
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 23019018.
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 cauda equina, finding it secondary to the appellant's service-connected back disability. The rating and reduction issues related to lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all claims, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including new examinations to assess the functional impairment resulting from his service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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