The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 6, 2017 for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity is remanded. The claims for a right knee disability and left knee disability are also remanded. A VA examination is needed to determine whether the Veteran has left upper extremity radiculopathy. The claim for TDIU is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The effective date of service connection was determined based on when the Veteran first indicated intent to file a claim, which was April 3, 2012. No earlier effective dates are granted as there is no evidence of prior claims or entitlement prior to that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of right lower extremity, Right knee disability, Left knee disability, Radiculopathy of left upper extremity, Cervical spine disability (DDD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118205
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,738 · Granted: 17% (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 19118205.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis of right knee strain is related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to their death.
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