Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for a back disability and RLE radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a procedural error regarding notice of the right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for headaches, left ankle arthritic condition, left knee strain, lumbosacral strain, right ankle arthritic condition, right knee strain, sciatica, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a need for additional development of evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted a 30 percent rating, while the lumbar and lower extremity radiculopathy claims are denied. An earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted, and TDIU based on single service-connected disability is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for an earlier effective date and higher ratings, as well as denied service connection for various conditions.

The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for claims related to an increased rating and service connection, as well as lack of jurisdiction over a previously granted claim for sinusitis.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability with radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, a cervical spine disability with radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and migraine headaches, all to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The claims for a left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected left and right sciatica, finding that the evidence supported a rating of 10 percent but not more.

The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to deficiencies in previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for his back disability from September 14, 2017 to February 24, 2020 and a 20 percent rating for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy during the same period. The claims for higher ratings were denied for other conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatica but granted separate disability ratings for neuritis and neuralgia.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including knee and foot conditions, a low back disability, radiculopathy, tinnitus, and a neck condition, to correct pre-decisional errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist by rescheduling missed examinations.

The appeal of the proposed reduction of the ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathies from 20 percent to 10 percent was dismissed because it is not a final action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, as well as a rating greater than 40 percent from April 15, 2024.

The Board granted an effective date of July 14, 2020, for the grant of service connection for IVDS with spinal fusion and lumbar disc disease with stenosis, as well as associated radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves of the left and right lower extremities, and depressive disorder.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were caused by his in-service injuries.