Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for bowel incontinence and radiculopathies of various bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to a low back disability due to the lack of evidence showing current diagnoses.

The Board remands the issues on appeal for correction of a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the appellant's lumbosacral spine intervertebral disc syndrome with strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for diabetes mellitus, left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and higher ratings for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left leg with fractured tibia and fibula, injury to muscle group XII, shortening of the leg, damage to the peroneal nerve, radiculopathy, and diabetic neuropathy, but granted an initial 20% rating for right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU, finding that his disabilities did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board granted service connection and initial ratings for several conditions, including PTSD with traumatic brain injury, bilateral shin splints, right and left upper extremity radiculopathies, and a 20 percent rating for the right ankle disability.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of service connection for PTSD and erectile dysfunction, dismissed the claim for dyshidrotic eczema and tinea pedis, and granted service connection for various other conditions including lumbar degenerative arthritis with IVDS, right and left lower extremity radiculopathies, right and left knee degenerative arthritis, chronic rhinitis, tinnitus, bilateral pes planus, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted and denied various ratings for the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a 10 percent rating for left knee disability with recurrent lateral instability, a 20 percent rating for cervical spine disability from July 20, 2017, to September 18, 2022, and a 30 percent rating from September 19, 2022. The Board also granted ratings of 20 percent or less for the Veteran's upper and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome and associated left and right cervical radiculopathy, but remanded claims related to a disability rating for chronic lumbosacral strain and bilateral ankle conditions.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches and supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, but denied service connection for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy and osteoarthritis of the right hip.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and lumbar spine conditions, as well as remanded the claim for a higher rating for radiculopathy.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent disability rating for lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity femoral nerve, but remanded other issues for further development.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as it was not timely filed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the criteria for rating disabilities of the spine.

The Board granted service connection for hearing loss and an effective date of April 19, 2022, but no earlier, for the grant of service connection for GERD. The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, and back disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction. Service connection was granted for a lumbar spine disorder, headaches, and dizziness. The TDIU claim was dismissed as moot.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's depressive disorder, fibromyalgia, sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and tension headaches. The Board also denied service connection for fatigue.

The Board denied an initial disability rating higher than 40 percent for intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbar strain and degenerative arthritis, but granted a 20 percent disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for tinnitus, service connection for anxiety, lower back pain, and sciatic nerve pain in both lower extremities.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to an inadequate December 2021 VA examination.