The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 40 percent from March 31, 2021 onwards. The effective date for the award of service connection for his lower extremity radiculopathies and painful scar are September 2, 2020 and January 23, 2020 respectively.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's back disability was manifested by objective neurological abnormalities on January 23, 2020, which led to the award of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The effective date is based on the earliest manifestation of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Painful low back scar, Right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, Left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, Right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy, Left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- September 9, 2024
- Citation
- A24053780
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 A24053780.
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 claims for increased ratings for right and left lower extremity femoral radiculopathy were denied as his disability did not more nearly approximate severe incomplete paralysis during the review period.
- Granted
Effective dates of June 4, 2022 are granted for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and disc disease, IVDS, spondylosis, scoliosis and healed compression fracture of T7, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and right lower extremity femoral radiculopathy.,Effective date of October 5, 2023 is granted for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The reduction of the Veteran's evaluation for his back disability from 60 percent to 40 percent was improper, and the appeal is granted. The rating in excess of 60 percent for a back disability is denied. The ratings in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are also denied.
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