The Veteran was granted a higher rating of 50 percent for his lumbar spine disability, service connection for bowel and bladder incontinence as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, TDIU from May 11, 2011, to May 10, 2012, but SMC at the housebound rate was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and its associated symptoms were severe enough to warrant a higher rating, and his incontinence was directly related to his service-connected condition. The TDIU claim was granted due to the impact of his disabilities on employment, but SMC at the housebound rate was not warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- Intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the lumbar spine with degenerative disc disease, Bowel and bladder incontinence
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- November 14, 2025
- Citation
- 25014021
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,038 · Granted: 30% (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 25014021.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bowel and bladder incontinence, respiratory disability, loss of balance and incoordination, foot pain, loss of hair to the lower extremities, and chills.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine has been granted with an effective date of March 24, 2020.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied.,The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for MDD and other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, lumbosacral radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, lumbosacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and service connection for bowel and bladder incontinence were remanded.,The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further action.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a higher level of SMC based on his service-connected disabilities, including loss of use of both lower extremities and incontinence issues. The decision also grants aid and attendance benefits due to the need for regular assistance with daily activities.
- Granted
The veteran's incomplete paraplegia with bowel and bladder incontinence is determined to be due to surgery for spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) at a VA facility, which aggravated his pre-existing condition.
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