The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, finding that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings or a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's low back disability, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerves, and lower back scar did not meet the criteria for higher ratings. The service-connected disabilities also did not preclude him from obtaining and sustaining substantial gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis with spinal fusion of the lumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, Linear surgical scar, lower back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039619
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of July 14, 2020, for the grant of service connection for IVDS with spinal fusion and lumbar disc disease with stenosis, as well as associated radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves of the left and right lower extremities, and depressive disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of March 4, 2019, for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and a 20 percent disability rating for this condition. The earlier effective date claim for the left lower extremity was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and additional VA examinations to address the effects of medication on symptoms and ensure thorough evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted disability ratings of 20 percent for each service-connected lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve from December 13, 2022, and remanded a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to January 4, 2024, and an excess of 40 percent thereafter, for degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine with bulging disc L5-S1 and intervertebral disc syndrome.
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