The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine DDD with subjective IVDS is rated at 40 percent, and his left femoral nerve radiculopathy is each rated at 20 percent. His overall rating is 60 percent for the appeal period.,His TDIU claim is denied as he meets the schedular criteria but does not have sufficient additional service-connected disability to bring the combined rating to 70 percent or more.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine DDD with subjective IVDS and left femoral nerve radiculopathy are rated at their maximum under the applicable diagnostic codes, and there is no additional service-connected disability that would bring his combined rating to 70 percent or more.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) with subjective intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), Radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2019
- Citation
- A19003056
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (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 A19003056.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the service connection of radiculopathy of the right and left femoral nerves, but granted an effective date of April 30, 2021, for a 70 percent rating for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder, moderate.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating greater than 20 percent for radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve and femoral nerve, finding that the evidence did not support moderate or severe incomplete paralysis.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left femoral nerve and a left knee disability, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right femoral nerves have been restored to 20 percent effective March 1, 2015.
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