The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity has been rated at 20 percent, but is not entitled to a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral flatfeet with residuals of heel spurs prior to July 25, 2019 have been rated at 10 percent, and are not entitled to a higher rating from that date. From July 25, 2019, the Veteran's condition has been rated at 30 percent.,The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, but is not entitled to a higher rating.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires treatment with oral hyperglycemic agent and a restricted diet, and is not entitled to a higher rating.,Service connection for gastrointestinal condition, thyroid condition, and acquired psychiatric condition (PTSD and anxiety disorder) are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support an increased rating in any of the issues on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, bilateral flat feet with residuals of heel spurs, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20005070
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 20005070.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all issues on appeal as the May 2024 rating decision was a purely ministerial implementation of the April 2024 Board decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
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