The Veteran's neuralgia of the sciatic nerve in the left lower extremity is granted a 20 percent rating. The Board also grants entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the right knee, entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the left knee, and remands the claim of entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability. The Veteran's headaches with lightheadedness are granted a compensable evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s neuralgia of the sciatic nerve in the left lower extremity warranted a 20 percent rating due to moderate symptoms, and remanded the other issues for further action.
- Claimed conditions
- Neuralgia of the sciatic nerve in the left lower extremity, Chondromalacia of the right knee, Chondromalacia of the left knee, Headaches with lightheadedness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19178588
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (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 19178588.
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 headaches with lightheadedness are rated as total and combined with other service-connected disabilities to meet the criteria for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate since August 6, 2019.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate 20 percent rating for left knee chondromalacia under Diagnostic Code 5258, effective January 4, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's chondromalacia of the right knee and chondromalacia of the left knee.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from April 4, 2009, to July 9, 2015.
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