Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the cervical spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for further development and consideration, including obtaining private medical records and a VA examination to address the Veteran's depression.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety, depression, severe alcohol use disorder and moderate cocaine use disorder due to military sexual trauma (MST), and granted increased ratings for certain service-connected disabilities. The claim for dizziness was dismissed, as was the entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board granted an initial 10 percent rating for a single right leg scar and remanded the remaining claims for further development.

The Board granted a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD and denied a separate compensable rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, as well as a TDIU based on service-connected PTSD.

The veteran withdrew all appeals, including those for earlier effective dates and increased disability ratings.

The Board granted restoration of a 40% rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, awarded SMC at a half step, and remanded several issues including increased ratings for the back disability and radiculopathies.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for sciatic nerve impairment, radiculopathy, left lower extremity to ensure the Veteran is provided with proper notice and a hearing.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between these conditions and his active service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased the disability ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatica to 20 percent, but denied service connection for headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, and did not change the denial of service connection for other conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher disability rating and an earlier effective date, finding that the evidence did not support such ratings.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy as a pre-decisional duty to assist error warrants further development.

The Board denied increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but remanded claims for higher ratings of the knee arthroplasties, hip bursitis, lumbar spine disability, and TDIU.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) and Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) from November 30, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The remaining issues of service connection for right arm radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, left foot neuropathy, and lumbosacral strain were dismissed due to untimely appeals.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy, all related to the Veteran's service.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and left lower extremity radiculopathy, denied a compensable rating for rhinitis and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and dismissed the appeal for a compensable rating for migraine headaches.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to a need for further development of evidence.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to her service-connected disabilities, which include posttraumatic stress disorder and various musculoskeletal conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, neck disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy based on the evidence showing that these conditions began during active service and have been continuous since separation from service.