The application to reopen the claim of service connection for a left hip disorder is denied.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy is denied.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy is denied.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a lumbar spine disability is denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for RLE radiculopathy is denied.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for LLE radiculopathy is denied.,A rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) with status/post diskectomy is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted.,Service connection for a headache disorder is granted.,Service connection for a sleep disorder is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied.,Service connection for a right hip disorder is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the reopening of the claim for service connection for left hip disorder, and the effective dates for RLE radiculopathy and LLE radiculopathy are based on the date of the claims. The lumbar spine disability has an original effective date that corresponds to the date of separation from service. The Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine or the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS) based on Incapacitating Episodes.
- Claimed conditions
- left hip disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19182162
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (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 19182162.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
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