The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to February 10, 2014 for service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the earliest effective date was February 10, 2014.,The Veteran's claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits was also denied as it should correspond to the effective dates for service connection claims.
The deciding factor: The earliest effective date for the grants of service connection and TDIU is February 10, 2014, which is when VA received the Veteran's claim. The Social Security Administration records were obtained as part of the back disability claims process and not related to the TDIU or Dependents' Educational Assistance.,The effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits should correspond to the effective dates for service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right knee patellofemoral pain disorder, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, chronic lumbar strain with facet hypertrophy and intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22013535
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 22013535.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee disability, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected back and sciatica disabilities. The evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hepatic steatosis have been denied. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.
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