Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2017

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and a right leg sciatic nerve disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment, and the Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's knee disabilities, including right and left knee instability, are rated at 10 percent each. He is also service-connected for a separate neurological disability of the right lower extremity associated with his lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment for which he would otherwise be qualified.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a separate disability rating for pleurisy due to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 12, 2012 for the award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not include a disability rated as permanent and total, thus he does not meet the legal criteria for entitlement to specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, meralgia paresthetica (right leg sciatica), and hemorrhoids do not meet the threshold criteria for a TDIU. The claim is denied as the evidence does not support that his service-connected conditions alone prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and providing VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD and right leg radiculopathy have been withdrawn.

The Board has granted service connection for LLE and RLE radiculopathy associated with the Veteran's service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine, effective July 9, 2009.,The Board also granted service connection for a head disorder (claimed as headaches) secondary to her service-connected DDD of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to bilateral hearing loss, and the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, claimed as numbness in his hands, is caused or aggravated by his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine degeneration was denied. The claims for increased ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted, with the right leg receiving a 20 percent rating effective September 5, 2012, and the left leg receiving a separate 10 percent rating from November 1, 2016. A TDIU was also granted as of November 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and affording the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the current severity of her service-connected disabilities. The appeal is now pending before the AOJ.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, but denied the remaining issues of increased ratings and secondary service connection. The Veteran is still seeking higher ratings for his back, left knee, and bilateral wrist disabilities.