The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities as well as left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability levels did not meet or exceed the criteria required for a higher rating based on the range of motion and other factors considered by the Board.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease, cervical spine, Degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25026176
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 Veteran was granted an effective date of July 31, 2012, for TDIU and October 22, 2012, for service connection of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including cervical spine, chronic fatigue, and various nerve damages, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to in-service events.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.
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