The appeal was dismissed for several conditions, and a 20 percent rating was granted for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy prior to August 31, 2017, while higher ratings were denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported moderate incomplete paralysis for the radiculopathy but not severe or complete paralysis. The psychiatric disorder met criteria for a 70 percent rating due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes mellitus, type II, Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Left knee degenerative joint disease, Right knee degenerative joint disease, Chronic sinusitis, Allergic rhinitis, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and PTSD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2025
- Citation
- 25002284
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,812 · Granted: 30% (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 25002284.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development. The Veteran contends his allergic rhinitis began during service, but VA medical opinions have found no link between his current condition and service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 5, 2024, for a 10 percent evaluation of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Veteran also appealed for a higher rating for his allergic rhinitis and this was denied as well.,The Veteran's PTSD with TBI claim is remanded due to inadequate medical examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for GERD and allergic rhinitis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD, as there is no documented history of recurrent esophageal stricture causing dysphagia requiring daily medications or dilatation more than once per year. For allergic rhinitis, the Veteran's symptoms were not severe enough to warrant a compensable rating due to lack of polyps and obstruction.
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