The Veteran's effective date for service connection of depressive disorder was granted as October 11, 2022, but no earlier. The claims for earlier effective dates for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have a service-connectable condition on or near September 16, 2021, and the first indication of a present psychiatric condition during the continuously pursued claim was the positive October 11, 2022 depression screening. For the radiculopathy claims, the evidence did not show symptoms of associated peripheral neuropathy, sciatica, or radiculopathy around the effective date sought.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive disorder, Right lower extremity radiculopathy, Left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25098268
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