The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of entitlement to such conditions prior to April 19, 2022.
The deciding factor: The competent medical evidence did not show signs or symptoms of radiculopathy until the April 2022 VA examination, and thus April 19, 2022 is the appropriate effective date for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy, right lower extremity, radiculopathy, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25026691
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.
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- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis of radiculopathy.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, IVDS, radiculopathy, and bulging disc to obtain a more thorough medical opinion.
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