The Board granted a 40 percent rating for left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, effective January 6, 2022, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
The deciding factor: The September 2023 examination findings of severe intermittent pain, paresthesias and/or dysesthesias, and numbness supported a higher rating than previously assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2024
- Citation
- 24001328
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for RLE and LLE radiculopathy service connection awards, finding that the AOJ failed to reconsider these claims under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) after receipt of relevant official service department records. The Board remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine whether the radiculopathy onset occurred prior to September 15, 1999.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as special monthly compensation and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates for entitlement to service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with tendinitis, lumbar spondylolisthesis and spondylosis, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, and allergic rhinitis.
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