BVA decisions by condition
Radiculopathy: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a radiculopathy issue in 4,137 decisions. It granted the radiculopathy issue in 28.0% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 21.5%, and remanded it in 51.3%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 56.6% were granted.
Decisions
4,137
2017–2026
Granted
28.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
56.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
51.3%
Denied: 21.5%
Radiculopathy outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 160 | 12.5% | 18.1% | 66.3% |
| 2018 | 299 | 13.7% | 20.1% | 64.5% |
| 2019 | 382 | 18.1% | 20.4% | 60.7% |
| 2020 | 459 | 23.7% | 25.1% | 53.8% |
| 2021 | 452 | 27.0% | 23.7% | 50.7% |
| 2022 | 435 | 29.7% | 19.1% | 54.0% |
| 2023 | 542 | 26.8% | 19.9% | 54.2% |
| 2024 | 547 | 33.5% | 21.9% | 45.3% |
| 2025 | 650 | 35.4% | 22.9% | 41.7% |
| 2026 | 211 | 52.1% | 19.0% | 31.3% |
Evidence in granted and denied radiculopathy decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the radiculopathy issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed as secondary | 1,702 | 73.0% | 39.2% | +33.8 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 759 | 79.1% | 47.8% | +31.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 618 | 74.0% | 51.6% | +22.3 pts |
| Buddy statement | 106 | 75.0% | 55.9% | +19.1 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 233 | 74.3% | 55.3% | +19.0 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,436 | 66.4% | 48.7% | +17.8 pts |
| Combat service | 167 | 69.1% | 55.9% | +13.2 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,296 | 57.0% | 53.8% | +3.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.2% of the decisions that granted radiculopathy.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 33.0% of grants and 13.2% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often radiculopathy was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 1,673 | 55.8% | 57.3% | −1.5 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,114 | 55.6% | 61.7% | −6.2 pts |
Radiculopathy claimed as a secondary condition
Decisions where radiculopathy was claimed as secondary to another service-connected disability (38 CFR 3.310), by that disability.
Why the Board granted or denied radiculopathy
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability303
- Current diagnosis established131
- Service connection established68
- Criteria for service connection met13
- Criteria for secondary service connection met10
- Secondary service connection criteria met10
- Service connection granted8
- Criteria for 20% rating met6
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis71
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis50
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim40
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service39
- Current diagnosis established37
- Service records negative or silent27
- Criteria for higher rating not met13
- Caused by the service-connected disability11
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent radiculopathy decisions
Granted
Service connection for low back disability established by AOJ; VA examination found radiculopathy related to low back disability; Secondary service connection criteria met
Current diagnosis of radiculopathy; Primary lumbar spine condition is service-connected; Medically related to lumbar spine disability
Current diagnosis of LLE radiculopathy; Evidence in relative equipoise; Resolving doubt in veteran's favor; Lumbosacral strain identified as likely cause
Denied
No current radiculopathy diagnosed; Evidence supports neuropathy, not radiculopathy; EMG study did not find radiculopathy
Service treatment records negative for radiculopathy symptoms.; First complaints of radiculopathy symptoms occurred many years after service.; Veteran's reports of in-service injury causing radiculopathy were found not credible.
No competent evidence of LLE radiculopathy diagnosis; VA exam did not find radiculopathy; Private opinion addressed only RLE radiculopathy
Rules that apply to radiculopathy claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your radiculopathy case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a radiculopathy issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.