The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity were denied.,An effective date earlier than January 22, 2018, was not granted for any of the service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that an earlier effective date was warranted as there is no indication of a claim or intent to file a claim prior to January 22, 2018. The Veteran's claims were based on his continuous pursuit of the issue following receipt of the Intent to File and Fully Developed Claim.,The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was rated at 10 percent since January 22, 2018, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24072294
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 948 · Granted: 52% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24072294.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, as there are insufficient medical opinions and records. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was denied, and his claims for right knee, left knee, right hand, left hand, GERD, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied. The effective date of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted on December 14, 2022.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of left knee condition, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left hip osteoarthritis, and right hip osteoarthritis is dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction over the August 2021 rating decision. Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left hip osteoarthritis, and right hip osteoarthritis are granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical limitations could be accommodated by sedentary employment.
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