The Veteran's appeal of the proposed reduction for lumbar DDD, postoperative with IVDS, and radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, right lower extremity, is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar DDD, postoperative with IVDS, is denied. An effective date of December 1, 2019, has been granted for his award of a 40 percent disability rating.
The deciding factor: The proposed reductions were premature as the October 2020 rating decision was only a proposal to reduce these disability ratings, not a final action that can be appealed.,The Veteran's lumbar DDD, postoperative with IVDS, is currently rated at 40 percent since September 1, 2020. The effective date of December 1, 2019, has been granted for the award of this rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Postoperative with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome (IVDS), Radiculopathy of the Sciatic Nerve, Right Lower Extremity, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26021487
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 A26021487.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to have had its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.
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