Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's low back, left hip, and sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies disabilities, as well as earlier effective dates for service connection. However, a TDIU was granted from August 2, 2022.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability, service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, but denied a compensable rating for hypertension. The issues of service connection for foot and knee disabilities were remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions and granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the claims for further development of evidence, including obtaining additional VA medical records and private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, OSA, atrial fibrillation, and tinnitus. The Board also denied increased ratings for lumbar strain with lumbar spondylosis, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, and hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and denied an increased rating for lumbar strain with IVDS, while remanding several other claims.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, related to in-service toxic exposure, effective August 10, 2022.

The Board denied an increased rating higher than 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability but granted a 20 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy before August 1, 2024.

The Board remands the service connection claims for back, feet, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy conditions due to a lack of adequate medical opinions.

The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for lumbar radiculopathy of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for insomnia but denied it for cervical radiculopathy of the left upper extremity.

The Board remands the claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to an incomplete duty to assist.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct duty-to-assist errors.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but no higher. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities were also found to be sufficient to render him unemployable.

The Board granted service connection for lower back disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee instability, knee strain, ankle strain, and foot strain.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy and granted a 40 percent initial rating for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, sciatic nerve.

The Board remanded entitlement to service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and bilateral upper extremity conditions for further development. The Board found new and relevant evidence warranted readjudication of the cervical spine claim and identified duty to assist errors in obtaining SSA records and obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 18, 2019, for the grant of a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.