The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his stroke residuals have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of more than mild incomplete paralysis in all radicular groups, moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, or moderately severe incomplete paralysis of the facial nerve.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran has no more than mild incomplete paralysis in his upper extremity and lower extremity, as well as a moderate incomplete paralysis of the facial nerve. These findings do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.
- Claimed conditions
- Left upper extremity ataxia, Left lower extremity paralysis, Left facial nerve impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 7, 2017
- Citation
- 1720347
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 1720347.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher disability ratings for residuals of ischemic stroke, specifically left lower extremity and left upper extremity paralysis, is granted starting from June 23, 2020. The initial rating was 100 percent until December 2020, then reduced to 10 percent. Higher initial ratings are now granted for the left upper and lower extremities under DCs 8514 and 8520 respectively.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for right and left lower extremity paralysis due to heart surgery, as the October 2021 VA etiology opinion is not sufficient. The Veteran needs new opinions from a medical professional regarding carelessness, negligence, or similar instances of fault during the June 2021 atrial fibrillation ablation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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