The Board granted restoration of the 40 percent rating for left arm, effective July 14, 2021, and denied an increased rating greater than 20 percent for radiculopathy right arm. The claim for an increased rating for cervical spine was remanded.
The deciding factor: The reduction in the Veteran's left arm ratings was improper due to insufficient evidence of actual improvement under ordinary conditions of life and work, while there was no significant improvement in the right arm condition to warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy left upper extremity, Radiculopathy right upper extremity, Intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2025
- Citation
- A25049880
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 734 · Granted: 31% (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 A25049880.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, effective February 14, 2020. The decision also granted service connection for right and left lower extremity sciatic and femoral radiculopathy, as well as TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 25, 2012 for the Veteran's service connection for radiculopathy in both upper extremities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as radiculopathy of the left upper extremity due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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