The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and right leg sciatica, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that the Veteran's preexisting low back disability was aggravated by military service, and his right leg sciatica is secondary to his service-connected back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (low back disability), right leg sciatica
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24065897
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and service connection for various conditions was dismissed due to concurrent election.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a back disability and right leg sciatica, finding that the Veteran's back disability caused his obesity, which in turn led to his back disability (via intermediate step), and that his back disability is also directly related to his hypertension. The right leg sciatica was found to be secondary to the back disability.
- Granted
The Board revised the March 2022 rating decision to grant increased ratings of 20 percent for right and left leg sciatica, correcting what it deemed as clear and unmistakable errors.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal for service connection and effective date claims due to an impermissible concurrent election of review options.
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