The Board denied an initial compensable rating for a scar, status-post laminectomy, and denied increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities prior to January 4, 2022. However, it granted a 20% evaluation from that date for both conditions.
The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's symptoms has been described as mild by VA examiners prior to January 4, 2022, and moderate thereafter, which aligns with the assigned ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- scar, status-post laminectomy, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, degenerative disc disease/degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with spondylosis, lordosis, lumbosacral strain, and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25018700
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,549 · 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 A25018700.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical limitations could be accommodated by sedentary employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and remanded the claim for adjustment disorder. The Veteran's radiculopathy is not shown to be related to his military service, while his adjustment disorder may be related to civilian life.
- 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.
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