Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 21, 2023, for the evaluations of 40 percent for low back disability, 20 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and 20 percent for right knee disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder, bowel and bladder disorders, and radiculopathy of both lower extremities to correct an error by the RO in satisfying a statutory duty to assist.

The Board remands the claims for further development and adjudication, including a VA examination to determine if any service-connected disability contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy as the evidence did not support moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, manifesting in the femoral nerve, and service connection for the same condition secondary to a service-connected disability. The TDIU claim was dismissed as moot.

The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran, and therefore all claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates were dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and lumbosacral strain; lumbar radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, sciatic nerve; and migraines.

The Board remands the claims for a back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain outstanding treatment records from non-VA providers.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability in accordance with VA standards.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome but denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and pelvic floor disorder.

The Board granted service connection for right wrist disability and assigned a 100% rating. It denied increased ratings for cervical spine, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left wrist disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis secondary to plantar fasciitis due to inadequate medical opinions regarding aggravation.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, depressive disorder, and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. It granted a 20% disability rating for the left and right leg disabilities but denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to a traumatic motor vehicle accident during active duty service.

The Board granted an increased rating of 40 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement, but remanded several other claims including service connection for a cervical spine condition, upper extremity radiculopathies, hearing loss, thrombocytopenia, and TDIU.

The Board denied a higher rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and the effective date of service connection, finding that moderate incomplete paralysis was present from March 3, 2022.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings and remanded certain issues for further development.

The Board granted an initial 40 percent rating for incomplete paralysis of the left sciatic nerve and denied a higher rating, while remanding service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Board remands the claims for higher ratings of the Veteran's service-connected low back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities due to a predecisional duty to assist error in not providing the Veteran's attorney with the VA examiner's training history and credentials.