The Veteran's service-connected back disability and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to March 2, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's severe pain and radicular symptoms with extended standing, movement, and prolonged periods of sitting precluded him from performing physically demanding occupational tasks for employment in the fields he had experience and was qualified to work.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left sciatic nerve radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23056054
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 23056054.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the requirements for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because he was not continuously rated totally disabled for a period of 10 or more years immediately preceding his death.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal of proposed reductions in ratings for his service-connected back disability and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is dismissed. The claim of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left sciatic nerve radiculopathy is remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy were denied as the evidence did not warrant an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.
- Granted
The reduction in rating from 40 percent to 10 percent for lumbar spine IVDS effective from April 1, 2020 to February 3, 2021 was not proper and thus the claim is granted.,Entitlement to an increased rating of 40 percent, but no higher, effective from February 3, 2021, for radiculopathy of left lower extremity sciatic nerve is granted.,Entitlement to an effective date earlier than February 3, 2021 for service connection for radiculopathy of left lower extremity sciatic nerve is denied.,Entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for radiculopathy of right lower extremity sciatic nerve is denied.
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