The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back disorder and right lower extremity sciatica, finding that there was no evidence of such disorders in-service or immediately thereafter.,The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU as his disabilities alone were not sufficient to render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's lower back disorder or right lower extremity sciatica began in-service, was caused by an in-service injury or disease, or is otherwise related to his military service.,The Board found that there was no medical evidence linking the Veteran’s current disabilities to his time in-service.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back disorder, right lower extremity sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20073112
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20073112.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back, right hip, and right ankle disorders as secondary to his left knee disorder. The AOJ must obtain VA examinations and provide answers to questions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbar spine arthritis and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity sciatica, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain. The decision is based on a finding of reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left leg shin splints and lower back disorder due to new evidence received by the Veteran. The VA will conduct further examinations and consider any additional evidence before making a decision.
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