The Board granted an earlier effective date of January 1, 2017, for the award of a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity sciatica but denied higher ratings. It also granted an effective date of December 11, 2017, for TDIU and DEA benefits.
The deciding factor: The increase in disability was factually ascertainable as of January 2017, supporting the earlier effective date for the left lower extremity sciatica rating; however, there was no evidence of moderately severe incomplete paralysis to support a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left lower extremity sciatica, right lower extremity sciatica
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25010876
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (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 A25010876.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome with left sciatica. The right lower extremity sciatica claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbar spine arthritis and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity sciatica, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain. The decision is based on a finding of reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding service connection for left and right lower extremity sciatica, leading to the dismissal of these claims.
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