The Board denied increased disability ratings for rectal sphincter impairment, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and voiding dysfunction associated with the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, as well as denied earlier effective dates for these ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating or an earlier effective date based on the severity of symptoms and medical records reviewed.
- Claimed conditions
- rectal sphincter impairment, right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, voiding dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2024
- Citation
- 24000128
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of January 10, 2017, for the award of service connection for voiding dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy in all extremities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and voiding dysfunction based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's service in Thailand.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all claims for service connection to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining relevant VA and private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.
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