Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient VA opinions and new evidence not considered at the time of the previous decision. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's low back disability, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathies are each rated at 40 percent prior to March 22, 2018. The claim is granted for these ratings.

The Veteran's left (minor) upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and right lower extremity sciatica have been granted increased ratings of 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective April 29, 2019.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for RLE radiculopathy and granted a 20% evaluation for LLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, but only to the extent that it is related to his service-connected back condition.

The Board has granted service connection for mood disorder due to known physiological condition with depressive features, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and neurogenic bladder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's left ulnar neuropathy and mild carpal tunnel syndrome are rated at 10 percent, with no higher rating granted.,The Board is remanding the claim of service connection for right hand peripheral neuropathy due to lack of sufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's appeal to extend the effective dates of his service-connected conditions was dismissed as untimely and without good cause presented.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) is granted with a separate initial 10 percent rating effective July 18, 2013.,The Veteran's bilateral dry eye syndrome is granted with a separate 20 percent disability rating.

The Board found that the withholding of VA disability compensation benefits for 36 days of drill pay in FY 2020 was proper and denied the Veteran's appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathies are currently rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings granted. The Board found the evidence insufficient to warrant a higher rating based on functional loss or impairment due to pain.

The Veteran's bilateral flatfoot with plantar fasciitis was granted a rating of 10% effective June 30, 2020.,The Veteran's mood disorder with depressive features was granted a rating of 30% effective January 18, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate nexus opinion in the March 2022 VA examination, and the Veteran's service connection claim for bulging disc of L5-S1 with radiculopathy is being returned to the AOJ for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the spine, right knee replacement post-operative, left total knee replacement, and radiculopathies, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on schedular basis.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding reductions in ratings and claims for additional disability compensation due to a lack of proper Notice of Disagreement (NOD) form.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine strain, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective January 25, 2021, as the evidence showed he was unable to secure or maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since that date.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis have been granted. The initial disability ratings for the right and left lower extremity radiculopathies are set at 20 percent each, while the lumbar spine strain is denied a rating in excess of 40 percent.

Service connection for a left knee disability is denied.,An effective date earlier than July 12, 2017 for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,The initial rating for the service-connected left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) higher than 10 percent is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine condition is denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claim that the cervical spine condition began in or was otherwise related to active-duty service. The Veteran's TDIU claim for his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and migraine headaches, is granted.