An effective date of February 10, 2016, is granted for service connection of right leg sciatic radulopathy as a complication of the service-connected lumbar spine condition.,From April 1, 2010, an increased disability rating of 40 percent for back condition (status post right L5-S1 hemilaminotomy, medial partial facetectomy, foraminotomy, osteophytectomy, and discectomy) is denied.,From December 5, 2017, a disability rating greater than 20 percent for left leg sciatic radulopathy is denied.
The deciding factor: The effective date of February 10, 2016, was granted as the right leg sciatic radulopathy condition became factually ascertainable by VA on that date.,The Veteran's back condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating under DCs 5242 and 5243 due to lack of ankylosis or physician-prescribed bed rest over the past 12 months.,Left leg sciatic radulopathy was rated at 20 percent from December 5, 2017, with no further increase requested.
- Claimed conditions
- Right leg sciatic radiculopathy, Left leg sciatic radulopathy, Left leg femoral radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 18, 2024
- Citation
- A24084935
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 A24084935.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left leg sciatic radiculopathy, right leg sciatic radiculopathy, and right upper extremity neuropathy due to a lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses or functional impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and associated neurological manifestations due to inadequate discussion in the January 2021 decision. The remand also includes adjudication of TDIU, DEA, and SMC issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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