The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and right shoulder disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed limited range of motion but no ankylosis or incapacitating episodes, which precluded higher ratings based on those criteria. The Veteran's radiculopathy was rated based on neurological impairment rather than muscle strength or sensory loss.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1810969
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 1810969.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for residuals of gallbladder removal and remanded the other claims due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
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