The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and remanded other claims for further development.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of forward thoracolumbar flexion to 30 degrees or less, ankylosis, or functional ankylosis even when considering functional impairment during flares or on repetitive use.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- 25006577
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 25006577.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities prior to November 22, 2022.,The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a right foot disorder.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The initial compensable rating for hypertension and TDIU are also granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for plantar fasciitis, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) due to a duty to assist error in obtaining adequate opinions regarding causation and aggravation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claims for increased ratings pertaining to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability and associated radiculopathy of the LLE, except as noted for a 60 percent rating from December 2, 2023.
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