The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment due to his back and knee conditions, which limit his ability to stand, walk, lift, bend, and carry.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right shoulder strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain) prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment due to their impact on his ability to perform physical tasks required for most jobs.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder strain, impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, degenerative arthritis, prominent spur, right, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, left knee strain, instability, right knee strain, instability, left knee strain, limited flexion, right knee strain, limited flexion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 27, 2026
- Citation
- 26000956
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 26000956.
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.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's rating for his right elbow condition from 10 percent to 20 percent effective May 5, 2025, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether there had been improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2020 for the service connection of low back disability and related radiculopathy issues. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted in January 2020.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge, and the medical opinion found that his current condition is not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, finding that it is related to his in-service injury. The claimant did not contest this decision.
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