The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: Multiple VA examiners indicated that the Veteran’s lumbar degenerative arthritis and lower radiculopathies caused only limited physical and occupational activities without preclusion to sedentary activity.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, sciatic nerve, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, femoral nerve, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, femoral nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19183906
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), and foraminal stenosis based on a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine to obtain a new medical opinion that considers an in-service injury after appropriate efforts are made to obtain the appellant's service treatment records.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a mood disorder and alcohol abuse disorder, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The other claims for increased ratings were denied.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral neuropathy below the hips, and a skin disability.
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