The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was rated at 10 percent prior to December 28, 2010, and at 20 percent from December 28, 2010, to December 19, 2021. The Board has now granted a 40 percent rating for the condition on or after December 19, 2021.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is characterized by severe intermittent pain, paresthesias and/or dysesthesias, and numbness in the sciatic nerve. The Board found that this constitutes moderately severe incomplete paralysis.
The deciding factor: The December 2021 VA examination noted severe radicular symptoms, decreased muscle strength, and observed the fact that the Veteran regularly uses a walker due to his lower extremity radicular symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22018635
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 22018635.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical limitations could be accommodated by sedentary employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and remanded the claim for adjustment disorder. The Veteran's radiculopathy is not shown to be related to his military service, while his adjustment disorder may be related to civilian life.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all service connection claims and rating determinations due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to a failure to provide adequate reasons or bases in the November 2024 decision as to whether the pre-decisional duty to assist had been satisfied.
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