The Veteran's low back disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities have been granted initial disability ratings, with a maximum rating of 40 percent for the low back disability as of April 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms most closely approximated forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine at 30 degrees or less, meeting the criteria for a 40 percent disability rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar Spondylosis and Stenosis Severe at L4-5; Degenerative Disc Disease of the Thoracic Spine (Low Back Disability), Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2026
- Citation
- A26035392
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 A26035392.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for discontinuance of TDIU, reduction of disability rating for acquired psychiatric disorder, and reduction of disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity due to lack of response from the Veteran within the required timeframe.
- Denied
The Board found that the evidence did not show an actual improvement in the Veteran's conditions, and thus denied the reduction requests for his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted service connection.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities are also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD, a TDIU prior to July 13, 2019, and increased ratings for the lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.
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