The Veteran's low back disability and right leg radiculopathy are granted service connection, but left leg radiculopathy is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the Veteran's claim for a current low back disability that began in service and continues to this day. The Veteran also has a confirmed history of right leg radiculopathy secondary to his service-connected low back disability. However, there is no persuasive evidence of left leg radiculopathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26037870
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 A26037870.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar spine and right hip disabilities due to a duty to assist error. The effective date for DEA benefits is granted as May 1, 2014.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and higher initial rating for his back disability is denied. The effective date remains March 29, 2021, as the earliest date of claim. An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the back disability from March 29, 2021, is also denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and associated right lower extremity radiculopathy, which precludes him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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