The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral lower extremity sciatic and femoral radiculopathy and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate, as the evidence did not show that these conditions arose prior to March 9, 2021.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of BLE neurological symptoms or diagnosis of a neurological disorder related to the spine before March 9, 2021, and thus the earliest effective date legally possible was assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Lower Extremity (RLE) Sciatic Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity (LLE) Sciatic Radiculopathy, RLE Femoral Radiculopathy, LLE Femoral Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25050167
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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