The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, right and paracentral annular tears at L2-3, and at L4-5, multilevel DDD with disc bulges, bone spurs, permanent nerve damage, lumbar sacral radiculopathy, leg weakness have resulted in bilateral lower extremity disorders severe enough to constitute permanent impairment of the use of his lower extremities. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for automobile or adaptive equipment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had an antalgic gait due to his lumbar spine and radiculopathy, decreased sensation in his lower legs and feet, hypoactive right knee and ankle, right-sided lower extremity incomplete paralysis, required the constant use of a cane. The Board found that these service-connected disabilities resulted in such severe functional impairment as to approximate 'permanent loss of use' of at least one foot.
- Claimed conditions
- raticulopathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24022301
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 A24022301.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all service connection claims and rating determinations due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to a failure to provide adequate reasons or bases in the November 2024 decision as to whether the pre-decisional duty to assist had been satisfied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision denying eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is not supported by adequate reasoning and must be remanded to allow for a thorough review, including obtaining medical opinions on whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the PCAFC program.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities due to conflicting information in the VA-contracted examination report, which requires clarification on the current severity of the service-connected disabilities without considering diabetic neuropathy. The Veteran is not service-connected for diabetic neuropathy.
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