The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated moderate incomplete paralysis for RLE radiculopathy and moderately severe incomplete paralysis for LLE radiculopathy. The lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Lower Extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and herniated disc L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25041789
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (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 A25041789.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of June 10, 2021, for the grant of service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from June 10, 2021, to October 19, 2022.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased disability evaluation of 40 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy but denied the claims for a higher rating for left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy and a compensable rating for residuals of a traumatic crush injury of the ring finger.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy from January 30, 2013, and denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to January 30, 2013, and in excess of 20 percent from January 30, 2013, for left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and depressive disorder. However, it granted a total disability rating based on unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.
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