The Board granted earlier effective dates for the increased 20 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities (sciatic nerve) but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for radiculopathy involving both femoral nerves, as well as for chemical pneumonia and Dietl's crisis.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran by finding that his symptoms met the criteria for a 20 percent rating from November 13, 2020, but denied earlier effective dates due to lack of new and relevant evidence supporting service connection for chemical pneumonia and Dietl's crisis.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (sciatic nerve), Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (femoral nerve), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (femoral nerve), Chemical pneumonia (also claimed as burn on the left lung), Dietl's crisis (also claimed as floating wandering kidney and flank pain)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25084754
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25084754.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine condition and lower extremity radiculopathy conditions were rated at 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective May 24, 2022.,Prior to May 24, 2022, there is no evidence of an increase in severity for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition or lower extremity radiculopathy conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and service connection, granted initial evaluations of 20 percent for radiculopathy in the left and right lower extremities, and dismissed a claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction.
- Dismissed
The appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various conditions, including radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, left lower extremity (femoral nerve), obstructive sleep apnea, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches, was dismissed. The Board also remanded claims for initial disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability, assigning them from August 15, 2021.
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