The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity sciatica as secondary to a lumbar spine disability, but denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings of major depressive disorder and cervical spine condition.

The deciding factor: The decision was based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's sciatic conditions were due to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, while the evidence did not support an earlier effective date for the psychiatric or cervical claims within one year of the initial rating decisions.

Claimed conditions

major depressive disorder, cervical spine condition, right lower extremity sciatica (described as right hip pain, leg pain, and sacroiliac pain), left lower extremity sciatica (described as left hip pain, leg pain, and sacroiliac pain)

How they argued it

Secondary to another service-connected condition

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

November 13, 2025

Citation

A25098912

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