The Veteran's claims for separate ratings for neurological disabilities of the upper and lower extremities secondary to service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to March 4, 2015 and 40 percent thereafter for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint and disc disease has been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU has been granted.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing a current neurological disability apart from meralgia paresthetica, which is likely due to the Veteran’s morbid obesity and not related to his service-connected back disabilities.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.,Further development is needed for an increased rating of bilateral knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Neurological disability of upper extremities, Neurological disability of lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147664
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
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