Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent disabling effective March 18, 2015. The right lower extremity radiculopathy was previously rated at 20 percent prior to April 27, 2010 and granted TDIU status prior to March 18, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, L5-S1 was granted. The condition is currently rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran has left lower extremity radiculopathy and if it is related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and for opinions regarding whether the Veteran's blackouts and anxiety are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and personnel information, as well as for a new VA audiological examination. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various conditions are on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the knees, a lumbar spine condition, a cervical spine condition, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy (arms, shoulders, and fingers), and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.,The Veteran's conditions are related to her time in military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Board hearing by live videoconference. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were granted. The Veteran was assigned a 40% disability rating for the lumbar spine condition effective August 29, 2016, and TDIU was granted from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings and TDIU, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted a TDIU rating effective from December 2008 and an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's low back disability. The decision also found that her service-connected conditions have prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an increased evaluation for a lumbar spine disability has been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the claim. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration of her left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to November 21, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral total knee replacement, low back disability and sciatic nerve disability did not have their onset in service or are otherwise related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and left-side radiculopathy are found to be related to his service-connected right ankle fracture. His initial rating for the right ankle is increased from 10% to 20%, effective July 30, 2013.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal on these issues.