The Veteran's lumbar degenerative arthritis and sciatica of the left and right lower extremities were not shown to be related to service or any presumptive period.,Service connection for sciatica of the left and right lower extremities was denied as they are not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's lumbar degenerative arthritis did not manifest within the applicable presumptive period, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and it is not shown to be causally related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The Veteran’s sciatica of the right and left lower extremities are caused by his lumbar arthritis, which is not service-connected. The examiner opined that strain does not cause radiculopathies.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative arthritis, sciatica of the left lower extremity, sciatica of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2019
- Citation
- A19001699
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 Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's sciatica of the left lower extremity, finding that the evidence supports moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development and readjudication of the veteran's claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative arthritis to ensure an adequate medical opinion is obtained.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability and a 30 percent rating for the right shoulder disability, effective from June 21, 2021. The decision also granted TDIU and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.
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