The Board granted a 40 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, effective May 12, 2023, but denied an earlier effective date for the lumbosacral strain.
The deciding factor: The earliest ascertainable date for the increased ratings was based on the VA examination dated May 12, 2023, which showed that the Veteran's conditions met the criteria for a 40 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (previously rated as degenerative arthritis with lumbar scoliosis), radiculopathy, left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), radiculopathy, right lower extremity (sciatic nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031567
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 896 · Granted: 51% (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 A25031567.
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 Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues, including service connection for various conditions. The Board has remanded several of these claims due to new evidence received after the September 2023 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected radiculopathy, left and right lower extremities, are being remanded due to a duty to assist error in the March 2021 VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for radiculopathy in both lower extremities and an initial 20 percent rating for left ankle degenerative arthritis, while denying a compensable rating for right hallux valgus.
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