The Board found that the veteran was not entitled to an earlier effective date for a 10 percent rating for right sciatica or service connection for a lumbar spine surgical scar.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence of record suggesting entitlement to a compensable rating for right sciatica in the one year prior to July 6, 2005. The earliest date it was factually ascertainable that an increase in disability had occurred within the one-year period prior to his claim was July 6, 2005.
- Claimed conditions
- right sciatica, lumbar spine surgical scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2009
- Citation
- 0903286
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0903286.
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 veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected left and right sciatica, finding that the evidence supported a rating of 10 percent but not more.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right hip arthritis and a TDIU as of June 8, 2020, while denying increased ratings for sciatica, left hip arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the spinal fusion from March 1, 2011 to July 14, 2022, but denied a higher rating. The effective date of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was also granted as of March 1, 2011.
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