The Board granted an effective date of April 22, 2020, for compensable ratings and service connection for sciatic nerve radiculopathy in the right and left lower extremities.
The deciding factor: Evidence is at least evenly balanced to suggest that the Veteran's back disorder manifested in compensable pain as early as April 22, 2020, and not February 5, 2021.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and lumbar stenosis, Sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Femoral nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Femoral nerve radiculopathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25041496
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for depressive disorder and femoral nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, finding that the severity of his symptoms did not warrant higher disability ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for a low back disability, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and entitlement to a TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to increased ratings for right ankle, right ankle scar, low back, femoral nerve, and sciatic nerve disabilities.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals before the Board of Veterans' Appeals, including the appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.
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