Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right knee strain and a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for some conditions and denied an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain, while remanding service connection claims for left and right wrist disorders.

The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, restored a 10 percent rating for right knee instability effective May 12, 2021, and granted an effective date of June 22, 2016, but no earlier, for the award of eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. chapter 35.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including verifying in-service stressors and scheduling examinations.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 19, 2020 for the Veteran's service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve).

The appeal for service connection for bilateral upper and lower radicular pain was dismissed, but the Veteran's status post right great metatarsal stress fracture was granted a 20% rating, and his linear scar s/p appendectomy was granted a 10% rating.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities, as well as radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities and an insomnia disorder. However, it denied service connection for instability of the left knee and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder with primary insomnia effective December 16, 2019, and an initial 40 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease from June 27, 2017 through December 6, 2021.

The Veteran's requests for extensions of time to file Board Appeal requests were denied, and the attempted appeals were dismissed.

The Board granted entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance due to the appellant's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as no evidence supported higher ratings or a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied due to her failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board denied service connection for any acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and remanded the claims for back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, but denied earlier effective dates for the right and left lower extremity radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve.

The Board denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain, granted the restoration of service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity sciatic nerve effective June 8, 2023, and remanded claims for a higher rating for ileocolic intestinal resection and GERD, as well as right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity sciatica as secondary to lumbosacral strain, and for lumbosacral strain. Service connection was denied for sinusitis. The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied.

The Board denied service connection for liver and kidney disabilities but granted a 70 percent rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder prior to February 3, 2017, a 50 percent rating for a back disability, and a 20 percent rating for left sciatic radiculopathy from July 22, 2008.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and GERD but granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Some issues related to other conditions were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. Several conditions were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for right arm radiculopathy and an initial 30 percent evaluation for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while remanding the remaining claims.