Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for an extraschedular total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 30, 2020, as it needs additional medical evidence to differentiate between symptoms attributable to service-connected and non-service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including vision disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypercholesterolemia, knee disabilities, low testosterone, migraine, penile condition, sciatic nerve disabilities, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA.

The Board denied an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy as the evidence did not support symptoms of moderate or more severe incomplete paralysis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for his service-connected conditions, except for a 20% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve from October 2, 2020 to April 20, 2022, and a 40% rating since April 20, 2022.

The appeal of the service connection claims for spinal stenosis with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity was dismissed due to untimely submission of a VA Form 10182.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for a thyroid disability and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (other than PTSD), left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and left lower extremity radiculopathy to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, while denying service connection for hypertension, a left arm disability, a left lower extremity neurological disability, a right lower extremity neurological disability, and left knee pain. The Board also granted ratings of 70%, 10%, and 30% for posttraumatic stress disorder with unspecified depressive disorder, dry eye syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease with irritable bowel syndrome, respectively.

The Board granted an increased rating of 40 percent for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease and left lower extremity radiculopathy, effective February 7, 2023.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the lumbar spine degenerative disc disease prior to February 10, 2022, granted an effective date of October 15, 2020, for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and granted a 40 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The appeal concerning the evaluation of bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) has been dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability and RLE radiculopathy due to duty to assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded a claim for service connection for left hip sprain.

The appeal for increased ratings and proposed reductions of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, as well as the appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, were dismissed due to the lack of a final decision on these issues.

The Board remands the claims for further consideration due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions regarding flare-ups and functional loss.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, as the earliest possible effective date is May 20, 2021, based on the intent to file a claim.

The Board granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraines, effective from November 22, 2022.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve prior to March 23, 2016.

The Board remands the matter for further action consistent with the terms of a Joint Motion, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of any psychological or social symptoms related to right upper extremity radiculopathy.