The Board granted effective dates of April 15, 2020, for service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral ankle sprain, and lumbar strain with IVDS.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's complete claim was not received within one year of the July 2018 Intent to File, and thus April 15, 2020, is the earliest date available for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle, lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle, left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, lumbar strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25037695
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 926 · Granted: 33% (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 A25037695.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection of a right ankle disorder.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection for gastroenteritis, lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain, right knee strain and hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a lumbosacral strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of a left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of right knee strain. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.,The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of hemorrhoids. The earliest effective date is December 5, 2018.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, were granted a 40 percent evaluation each. Additionally, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected left ankle sprain is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination conducted in October 2020. The Board will seek an adequate medical examination and consider all relevant evidence before making a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathies, and left lower extremity radiculopathy with foot drop. The issues include determining if these conditions are related to service or other factors.
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