The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right and left lower extremities.
The deciding factor: There was no formal or informal claim received within one year prior to December 2021, and the evidence did not support a finding of clear and unmistakable error in the previous rating decision that granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back condition.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity (claimed as sciatica with chronic sharp pain in lower back, buttocks and legs), lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity (claimed as sciatica with chronic sharp pain in lower back, buttocks and legs)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25055206
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for eligibility for specially adapted housing, a special home adaptation grant, and financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment. The claim of CUE in the September 14, 2017, rating decision was also denied.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for lumbar spine disc disease with fusion residuals, chronic pain syndrome, and lumbar radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar radiculopathy but denied it for genitourinary kidney problem blood in urine, sleep apnea (OSA), cervical radiculopathy neck, and eye injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, herniated disc, and lumbar radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot hammer toes with callousing and hallux valgus.
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