The Board granted service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, associated with thoracolumbar muscle strain, and assigned an initial rating of 10 percent. The claims for increased ratings and remanded issues are to be addressed on remand.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on a nexus between the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar muscle strain and his bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as supported by medical evidence from the January 2019 VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Thoracolumbar muscle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000664
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for higher staged ratings and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right lower extremity, and residual painful surgical scar, posterior trunk respectively, to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of January 30, 1978 for the award of service connection for TBI with unspecified neurocognitive disorder and denied earlier effective dates for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to a TDIU prior to April 15, 2011, as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantial gainful employment.
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