Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the Veteran's neck condition and its relationship to her military service. The issues of right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy and left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the neck condition claim.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he passed away before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's right hip, right ankle, and low back disabilities are granted service connection.,Prior to February 7, 2021, the Veteran was awarded a compensable rating for left shin splints.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU claim are all granted as of February 12, 2021. Dependents' Educational Assistance is also established for the same date.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy from August 10, 2016. The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathies are currently rated as mild prior to that date and moderate thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities has been granted increased ratings to 40 percent, effective March 2, 2010.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and effective dates for various conditions, including left lower extremity radiculopathy, adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety, circinate balanitis, gonorrhea, herpes, conjunctivitis, and atrial fibrillation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and reopening of service connection due to new evidence added to the record.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was previously rated at 20 percent, and the Board has restored this rating to its effective date of November 1, 2021.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, left and right upper extremity neurological disabilities are granted as service connected. The disabilities are related to injuries in service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was denied.,Effective dates were granted for a 10% rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE), both effective January 28, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are likely to prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment, leading to a TDIU. The claims for increased ratings in various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and temporary total evaluations due to various issues related to a blood clot on the brain. The Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are alleged to have caused or aggravated his subdural hematoma, but the VA examiner did not address whether this was the case in their opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or TDIU.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are being remanded for further evaluation as his claims have increased in severity since the last examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain is remanded. His hypertension claim is also remanded as it may be related to herbicide exposure or diabetes.,The Board has decided that a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar strain is not warranted at any point during the appeal period, and the matter of service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain is remanded. The hypertension claim is also remanded as it may be related to herbicide exposure or diabetes.,The Veteran's hypertension has not been assigned a rating and no effective date has been established.