The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for his lumbosacral DDD, but not for the radiculopathy of his lower extremities prior to November 6, 2012.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the schedular criteria and there were no exceptional circumstances presented that would warrant an extraschedular rating.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disease, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease (DDD), radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1545124
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 1545124.
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).
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- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
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The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical limitations could be accommodated by sedentary employment.
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