The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective October 21, 2020.,Claims for earlier effective dates for the assignment of 20 percent ratings for IVDS and left lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.,Entitlement to an earlier effective date of service connection for MDD is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's TDIU claim was a continuation of his service connection claims, which were filed in October 2020. The Intent to File form received on December 2, 2022, was accepted as the date of claim.,Claims for increased ratings for IVDS and left lower extremity radiculopathy were not submitted separately; they are part of the TDIU application filed in March 2023. The Veteran did not file a separate claim seeking earlier effective dates for these conditions until August 2024, which is more than two years after his initial ratings.,The earliest filing of record indicating intent to seek service connection for MDD was October 21, 2020, the date he filed his PTSD claim. There is no evidence of a prior filing or other basis for an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), left lower extremity radiculopathy, major depressive disorder (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2026
- Citation
- A26002228
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 A26002228.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is granted with an effective date of July 25, 2023.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left foot disability status post Mitchell's bunionectomy is dismissed as it does not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
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