The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted with effective dates of October 12, 2016. The initial ratings assigned are 20% for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.,Effective dates earlier than October 12, 2016 were denied for the grant of service connection for sacralization L5, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and migraines.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were received on or after October 12, 2016, which is when her effective dates were established.
- Claimed conditions
- Sacralization L5 (claimed as a back condition), Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Migraines (claimed as headaches)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20005170
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 20005170.
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 Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70 percent rating prior to July 29, 2024. The GERD rating remains at 30 percent disabled but no higher.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's IBS with GERD was granted an initial 60 percent rating. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and development.
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