Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2019

The Veteran's PTSD, with other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and unspecified depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal. The rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for various knee disabilities, depression, and radiculopathy due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 18, 2009 for the award of service connection and a separate disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied. The claim for an effective date earlier than February 11, 2014 for the award of service connection for tension headaches is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by his representative.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the knees, and other specified depressive disorder have all been denied as not related to service or otherwise supported by evidence.

The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted effective from September 13, 2011. A 40% rating has also been assigned for the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is now rated at 40 percent from December 15, 2015. His bilateral hearing loss has been granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders, which may be related to his in-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis and sciatic nerve problems, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's time in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for back strain, lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU due to incomplete development of evidence and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and neurological disability of the feet, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spinal stenosis and left lumbar radiculopathy due to concerns about the validity of the findings from a previous VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, lower extremity radiculopathy, varicocele, laceration of the scalp, right shoulder separation (postoperative), and left shoulder impingement syndrome were denied. The Veteran was granted separate ratings for RLE and LLE radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve, but his claims for higher ratings or effective dates were not supported by evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a right ankle disability and hearing loss are denied.,Back, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back pain and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and radiculopathy as due to a back condition, finding that there was no nexus between his current disabilities and military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The claims of service connection for sciatica, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and left eye lattice degeneration are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral tinnitus and left ear hearing loss is denied.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for low back disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities is remanded.

The Veteran's GERD is rated at a 10 percent disability rating, which is the maximum available under current regulations.,Service connection for bronchitis has been reopened and granted based on new evidence.