The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for various disabilities, including degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine and paralysis of the sciatic nerves and hips.
The deciding factor: There is no basis for the assignment of an earlier effective date as the claims were not filed within a year of the final denials in 2019, and the Veteran did not submit new and relevant evidence to reopen the claims prior to filing his July 2023 Supplemental Claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine, Paralysis of the left sciatic nerve, Paralysis of the right sciatic nerve, Right hip impairment of the thigh, Right hip limitation of extension, Left hip limitation of flexion, Left hip impairment of the thigh, Right hip limitation of flexion, Left hip limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023775
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a temporary total rating based on convalescence and entitlement to specially adapted housing, as he was not service-connected for a lumbar spine disability at the time of his spinal laminectomy in December 2019, and there is no evidence of loss or loss of use of any extremities that would preclude locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and higher initial disability ratings of 70%, 40%, and 20% for PTSD, back disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy respectively. The claims for higher ratings for right hip limitations and eye photophobia were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's low back condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hip conditions as there was no evidence of a worsening of symptoms beyond what was shown at the September 2023 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left hip limitation of flexion and a compensable rating for left hip limitation of abduction and adduction, as the evidence did not support higher ratings.
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