The VA denied an increased evaluation for meralgia paresthetica, right lateral cutaneous nerve, currently rated as 30 percent disabling.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not demonstrate complete paralysis of the femoral nerve or paralysis of the quadriceps extensor muscles, which are required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 8526.
- Claimed conditions
- meralgia paresthetica, right lateral cutaneous nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2002
- Citation
- 0204274
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0204274.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for bilateral hip osteoarthritis and meralgia paresthetica, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and a bilateral knee strain, while denying service connection for fibromyalgia, an undiagnosed Gulf War illness (UGWI), or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI).
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for beneficiary travel expenses were denied because they were not submitted within the required 30-day filing deadline, despite a previous suspension of the deadline due to the COVID-19 emergency.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's meralgia paresthetica was previously rated at 20 percent, but the RO reduced this to noncompensable effective September 1, 2019. The Board found that there was no actual improvement in the condition and restored the original rating of 20 percent.
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