Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability with left leg radiculopathy and bilateral pes planus. The case will be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and major depression have been granted. The claim for service connection on the merits has also been reopened.

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

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for urinary incontinence has been withdrawn. The remaining issues of increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right leg/knee disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during his period of honorable service or within a presumptive period. The current conditions are also not shown to be related to his period of honorable service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain and radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been rated appropriately based on their current severity.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the higher initial rating and subsequent staged ratings for left leg radiculopathy at L4-5 before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and treatment records, as well as a review of all evidence received since the November 2013 statement of the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and remanded other issues including ratings for his back, right shoulder, and leg disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied, but he is now granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The specific conditions and issues are related to service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the case for several reasons, including clarifying whether the Veteran desires new representation and scheduling a videoconference hearing. The claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as the claim for TDIU, are pending.

The Veteran's active duty service was less than 90 days during the Persian Gulf War era, and he did not meet eligibility requirements for VA home loan benefits based on his Selected Reserve service due to a discharge for failing medical fitness standards.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing low back disability was not aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection. The radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is attributed solely to the Veteran's back disability, which also resulted in denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the lumbar spine disability did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating prior to July 31, 2014, but did meet criteria for a 20 percent rating beginning July 31, 2014. Ratings in excess of those assigned were not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy is causally related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, skin cancer due to sun exposure, and erectile dysfunction (ED), all secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD with anxiety disorder, lumbar spine osteoarthritis, and right lower extremity sciatica were denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under the applicable rating schedule.,For conditions other than right foot and left foot plantar fasciitis with pes planus, no new or material evidence was presented to reopen previously denied service connection claims.