The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the low back disability, denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, granted a separate 10 percent rating for left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's low back disability more nearly approximated forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less without the ameliorative effects of medication. The right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy was best approximated by moderate incomplete paralysis, and the left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy was related to the low back disability and best approximated mild incomplete paralysis. Bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, Left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25107536
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 A25107536.
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 claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
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