Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of the Veteran's joint pain, including his back pain. The Veteran is seeking service connection for joint pain related to his active duty in the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development of her lumbar spine strain and radiculopathy disabilities, including failure to obtain records from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir medical clinic.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his cervical spine disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathies have been withdrawn. The claims for hypertension, low back disability (lumbar degenerative arthritis), right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, and respiratory condition have all been granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder condition, right knee condition, left foot plantar fasciitis, and left shoulder disability are being remanded. The claim for TDIU is also being remanded.,The Veteran's GERD has been granted an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher. His PTSD claim remains denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to errors in the pre-decisional duty to assist and will need further development.

The Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete service treatment records, and further efforts are needed to obtain these records or a formal finding of unavailability must be made.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the veteran's service-connected conditions as they are not currently in a position to make decisions due to the veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records.,The Board is unable to proceed with these matters until all necessary steps have been taken to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the veteran's service-connected conditions as they are not currently in a position to make decisions due to the veteran's death.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the ratings for various service-connected conditions as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a cervical spine disability and left leg radiculopathy, including as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, were denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for congenital spinal anomaly spondylosis (claimed as lumbar spine disability) was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right knee bursitis are being remanded for further examination to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of all remaining issues.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 20, 2009 to February 10, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU from February 11, 2015 is denied as he is already in receipt of a combined schedular rating of 100 percent.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted with an effective date of September 29, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities as of this date.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy is reopened, but further evidence is needed to determine if it is related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral upper and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are related to his service-connected conditions, and therefore, service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, and respiratory disorder. The examiner found that the Veteran's current conditions did not clearly and unmistakably preexist service and were less likely than not incurred in or caused by service.