Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2024

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding increased ratings and effective dates for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the spine, GERD, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, vitiligo, tinnitus, anal fissures, a jaw disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The appeals are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for a TDIU. The issues of service connection and evaluations for right wrist strain, sciatica of the left lower extremity, and sciatica of the right lower extremity are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and evaluation of his claims, including verification of toxic exposure and provision of medical opinions regarding the etiology of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity. The claims are being returned for further development to obtain necessary medical records and ensure proper consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected OSA is granted, and he is awarded TDIU from August 9, 2018. The low back disability, sciatic radiculopathy, and migraine headaches are found to be disabling enough for a TDIU prior to that date.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his back disability has been withdrawn.,The claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and lumbar radiculopathy have been dismissed as moot due to the maximum schedular ratings being assigned.,The Veteran was granted compensable disability ratings (20%) for scars on both hands, effective February 15, 2013.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 30, 2016 for a TDIU based on the schedular criteria. The claim for TDIU prior to June 30, 2016 is remanded due to lack of schedular criteria.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spondylosis and radiculopathy, left lower extremity due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities are restored from August 3, 2023, but a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative spondylosis, L5-S1, remains denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and rating determinations due to new evidence being added to his file without a corresponding SSOC.

The Board has remanded the propriety of separate ratings for various radiculopathy conditions affecting the Veteran's upper and lower extremities, as well as a claim for a TDIU. Additional development is needed to obtain private treatment records from non-VA providers.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased initial rating of 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy has been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his back disability, service connection for bilateral sciatica and acid reflux, and service connection for ED due to incomplete VA examinations and lack of opinions on etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his sleep apnea, cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, rotator cuff tendonitis of the right shoulder, painful surgical scars of the right lower extremity, residual scar of the right lower extremity, right ankle status post-surgery, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, and right inguinal hernia. The issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including stomach disorder, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and sleep disorder. The Veteran is also being asked to provide updated VA treatment records and undergo examinations for cervical strain, GERD, and ulnar neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed due to voluntary withdrawals.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus, but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's radiculopathy is related to his service-connected degenerative disc disease.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and a higher rating for radiculopathy, RLE, as service connection for these conditions have been severed.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of peripheral neuropathy, radiculopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, and maxillary sinusitis have been withdrawn.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction has been granted.