Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2015

The Veteran's attorney was awarded a fee of $3,943.95 for services related to her service connection claims. The Board found that the award was in accordance with proper procedure and ordered.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his lumbar disability with sciatica, hypertension, and migraine headaches are being remanded to allow for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to be 70 percent disabling, but the evidence does not show that they render him incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions and issues, including service connection claims for various health problems. The Board has scheduled a Travel Board hearing to address these matters.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have been granted service connection, with a rating of 10 percent for each condition.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities are granted service connection as they are related to his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent since April 13, 2012. The Board found that the symptoms of his PTSD are most comparable to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. His left lower extremity radiculopathy is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability, and consider whether referral for extra-schedular consideration is warranted.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including the one regarding service connection for a sinus disability. As a result, the Board does not have jurisdiction to decide these matters.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease with radiculopathy is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity associated with cervical spine disability have been granted, effective August 31, 2012.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of right leg radiculopathy and thus service connection cannot be established.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD, which prevents him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and his radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are each rated at 10 percent. The claims for increased ratings were denied.,TDIU was also denied due to incarceration in connection with a felony conviction.

The Board has determined that it is not factually ascertainable prior to January 4, 2008, that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unable to work and thus an effective date earlier than January 4, 2008 for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability on an extraschedular basis cannot be assigned.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, rhabdomyolysis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's sciatic nerve involvement of the right lower extremity is currently rated as 20 percent disabling since February 9, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the RO. The initial ratings and increased rating claims are not addressed in this decision.