The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) is granted with a separate initial 10 percent rating effective July 18, 2013.,The Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is granted with a separate 20 percent disability rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran has radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) which was present throughout the appeal period, warranting a 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is rated based on its impact on his lacrimal apparatus.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Bilateral dry eye syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24049196
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 A24049196.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is rated at a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6025, the maximum available for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection for alopecia areata is dismissed. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral dry eye syndrome with vision impairment scars are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome was improper due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE), and thus, the appeal is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and ineffective assignment of an effective date. A new VA examination is required to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral dry eye syndrome and cataracts, with a focus on whether a separate compensable rating for dry eye syndrome is warranted.
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