The Board denied entitlement to higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from April 22 to April 30, 2015.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's lumbar spine or lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities warranted higher ratings under the applicable criteria; however, her combined service-connected disability rating met the threshold for a TDIU from April 22 to April 30, 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease and bilateral sacroiliac osteoarthritis, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (femoral nerve), Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (femoral nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- 25008058
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and service connection, granted initial evaluations of 20 percent for radiculopathy in the left and right lower extremities, and dismissed a claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction.
- Dismissed
The appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various conditions, including radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, left lower extremity (femoral nerve), obstructive sleep apnea, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches, was dismissed. The Board also remanded claims for initial disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability, assigning them from August 15, 2021.
- Partly granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the increased 20 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities (sciatic nerve) but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for radiculopathy involving both femoral nerves, as well as for chemical pneumonia and Dietl's crisis.
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