The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and an earlier effective date were denied as the correct facts, as known at the time, were not in dispute and the applicable regulations were correctly applied.
The deciding factor: The RO did not err in failing to address these issues or in applying relevant regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylosis of the lumbar spine, intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis changes (most likely involving peripheral nerves: external cutaneous nerve of thigh, sciatic and tibial nerve, right)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19149772
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective April 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to obtain opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle ganglion cyst, spondylosis of the lumbar spine, knee strain, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis are caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder and back disabilities are being remanded for further development due to inadequate examination reports.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for spondylosis of the lumbar spine and an earlier effective date for PTSD have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.
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