Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for lumbar spine disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to headaches, lumbar spine disorder, TMJ, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right great toe metatarsophalangeal joint arthritis, left foot bursitis, and TBI. The appeal was dismissed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period from January 1, 2013, to June 6, 2016, was granted. The TDIU claim for periods prior to January 1, 2013, was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, but denied service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also granted.

The Veteran's bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is granted as service connected. The Board found the evidence supported a finding of direct service connection based on symptoms observed during service and confirmed by subsequent medical examination.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left lower extremity with musculocutaneous nerve radiculopathy is denied.,The Veteran's increased rating in excess of 20 percent for left leg DVT, from February 19, 2018 to the present, is denied.

The Board has expanded the Veteran's claim to include sacroiliac strain, spondylolisthesis of the fifth lumbar vertebra, osteoarthritis, and degenerative changes with radiculopathy. The case is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development.,No specific rating assigned as the appeal is on issues not related to service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip disability, left hip disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or are otherwise related to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for entitlement to higher ratings and earlier effective dates for back disability, neck disability, and headache disability.,The appeal of radiculopathy, left upper extremity, is granted with an effective date of June 4, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development of her medical records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right total knee replacement, left shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, right leg disability (radiculopathy), and left leg disability (radiculopathy) due to a lack of evidence showing in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine with degenerative changes and radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or neurological impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as he has been employed as a commercial delivery truck driver for several years.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to additional evidence received after the last rating decision, and an additional VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been evaluated at the lowest available ratings (10% for each). The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder has also been evaluated at the lowest available rating (10%). The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since March 1, 2020. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.