The Veteran's service-connected left and right upper extremity radiculopathies are not shown to warrant evaluations in excess of the currently assigned 20 percent ratings. The Board also denied entitlement to TDIU due to the lack of evidence regarding the Veteran's employment.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not show that the Veteran’s left or right upper extremity radiculopathies manifested more than mild symptoms, and there is no other evidence indicating unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18142560
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 18142560.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA, but denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy and 40 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy.
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