Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. An updated VA examination is needed for the spine and radiculopathy, and the TDIU claim must be adjudicated.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being added to his case file and because of the need for updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain. The rating for the lumbar strain remains at 40 percent, and a TDIU is granted from December 1, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 5, 2016. The Board granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeal, effectively dismissing the case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU from September 1, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions were denied.,No specific reasons or bases are provided in the decision summary.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are found to be secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative joint and disc disease, osteoarthritis of the right hand second digit and thumb, asthma, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), prostate cancer with prostatectomy, bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, right thigh residual scar, right index finger scar, and abdomen scar, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, the Board has granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for tension headaches, multi-level DDD, cervical spine (neck condition secondary to facial nerve palsy), right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate examination findings. The VA will schedule a new examination to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the spine, as well as left lower extremity radiculopathy, have been granted.,Service connection is established for degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has denied service connection for high cholesterol, sciatica prior to July 8, 2022, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), TMJ, GERD, CFS, bilateral ankle disabilities, tinnitus, headaches prior to December 29, 2023, insomnia with unrestful sleep, and a mental health disorder. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of cervical stenosis and right upper extremity radiculopathy, finding that the claims were not filed before the January 2018 decision became final.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity were denied.,An effective date earlier than January 22, 2018, was not granted for any of the service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities (femoral and sciatic nerves) was evaluated, but no higher ratings were granted as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.,The Board found that the Veteran's radiculopathy did not result in diminished or loss of reflexes or muscle atrophy, which are required for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for additional evidence, including military personnel records to confirm Gulf War service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for various back conditions, including degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, and a surgical scar is granted effective from April 22, 2015. The decision also grants service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, finding that entitlement arose on November 18, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment since June 2014.,The Board finds that the combination of multiple disabilities, including sleep apnea, coronary artery disease, and lumbar condition with radiculopathy, has prevented the Veteran from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of a right rib fracture and dermatophytosis (claimed as eczema) have been granted. Claims for hyperlipidemia, elevated liver enzymes, posttraumatic stress disorder, alopecia totalis, iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee, cervical spine disability, voiding dysfunction, benign neoplasm of the skin, right ankle disability, right elbow disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability have been denied. The Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity secondary to service-connected spinal stenosis are remanded.