The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 10 percent prior to July 19, 2017. The Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve was not service-connected prior to July 19, 2017. The Board denied a compensable rating.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve is first documented on July 19, 2017 and thus an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve is first documented on July 19, 2017 and thus an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve is first documented on July 19, 2017 and thus an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a TDIU prior to July 19, 2017. The Board denied an earlier effective date.,Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance began on July 19, 2017 and thus an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring an automobile or other conveyance with adaptive equipment.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran’s lumbar spine disability warranted a rating higher than 10 percent prior to July 19, 2017.,There was no neurological impairment associated with the right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve during the period on appeal. The Board denied an earlier effective date for this condition.,The left and right lower extremity radiculopathies were first documented on July 19, 2017. Therefore, an earlier effective date is not warranted.,The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a TDIU prior to July 19, 2017. The Board denied an earlier effective date.,Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance began on July 19, 2017 and thus an earlier effective date is not warranted.,The Veteran's disabilities did not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring an automobile or other conveyance with adaptive equipment.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative joint disease with low back strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve), left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- A19002955
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,874 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19002955.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Additional development is needed for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome, increased ratings for lower extremity radiculopathies, and obtaining a VA TERA opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with IVDS and associated radiculopathies of the left and right lower extremities are granted at a 40 percent rating prior to December 27, 2023, and denied for ratings in excess of this level from that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded two issues: the initial rating for a lumbar disorder and the initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The remand is due to inconsistencies in the VA examination report, particularly regarding range of motion during flare-ups.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as TDIU, have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the appeal.
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