The Board granted an earlier effective date of August 9, 2018, for a grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy with a 20 percent disability rating. The Board also granted increased ratings of 70 percent and 20 percent from March 17, 2017 to June 2, 2021, and from March 17, 2017, respectively, for the service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder and anxious features, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The deciding factor: The Board granted increased ratings based on the severity of the symptomatology and functional impairment as documented in the evidence of record.

Claimed conditions

left lower extremity radiculopathy, posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder and anxious features (psychiatric disability), right lower extremity radiculopathy, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disease with mild levoscoliosis (back disability), major (dominant) right shoulder degenerative joint disease (right shoulder disability)

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

March 11, 2025

Citation

25003352

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine