The Board has granted a TDIU effective October 13, 2010. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include radiculopathy in the lower extremities and herniated nucleus pulposus L4-L5.
The deciding factor: The earliest date of claim for a TDIU was October 13, 2010, when VA received the Veteran’s increased rating claims. The effective date is set at this time as it aligns with the date of receipt of the claim and not earlier than the date entitlement arose.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy in the lower extremities, herniated nucleus pulposus L4-L5
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006704
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · 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 20006704.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, specifically addressing whether his service-connected low back disability caused or aggravated any weight gain that led to his condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of a permanent and total nature, and the Board has dismissed his claims for increased ratings as he withdrew them at his hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy in the lower extremities, to include as secondary to his service-connected back condition, is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was evaluated at various initial ratings, but the Board found that none of these ratings met his claim for increased evaluations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.