The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 12, 2014 for service connection of radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) in his right lower extremity as secondary to his service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus L5-S1 with intervertebral disc syndrome. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date was May 12, 2014, which is when the Veteran submitted a formal claim for this condition.
The deciding factor: The first medical evidence of radiculopathy in the right lower extremity arose in April 2014 and could serve as the date at which entitlement arose. However, the effective date cannot be earlier than the date of receipt of the Veteran's claim, which is May 12, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy, right lower extremity (sciatic nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159354
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 19159354.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance, pending implementation of an earlier effective date for urge incontinence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis of radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, IVDS, radiculopathy, and bulging disc to obtain a more thorough medical opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's request to restore higher ratings for degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, finding that the reductions were proper based on medical evidence.
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