The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 21, 2023, for the grant of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the same. Additionally, it granted a separate evaluation for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for the lumbar spine disability but supported granting an earlier effective date and a separate evaluation for the radiculopathy.

Claimed conditions

Lumbar spine disability (degenerative disc disease with stenosis), Left lower extremity radiculopathy

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

20%

Decision date

October 31, 2025

Citation

A25094799

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine