Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Veteran's service-connected radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, and he is entitled to a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status.

The Veteran's left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy was granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, from January 8, 2020, onwards.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from April 29, 2018.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and effective dates due to insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure, and issues related to ratings and TDIU.

The Board granted service connection for a right leg condition distinct from the already service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that there is sufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran has meralgia paresthetica which has been aggravated by the right lower extremity radiculopathy. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was denied as the evidence does not support a diagnosis of a separately diagnosable condition.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD, lumbar spine disability, sciatica, and ED, as well as a TDIU prior to April 5, 2021, due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the issues of increased ratings for various disabilities due to procedural deficiencies and the need for updated VA treatment records and examinations.

The Board remands the claims for reconsideration of the October 1991 rating decision that denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability was onset during service or within one year of separation from service.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for service-connected right and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to a challenge regarding the competency of the examiner who conducted the April 2025 examination.

The Board denied the motion to revise a December 2019 rating decision that failed to grant service connection for upper extremity radiculopathy based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability, assigning them from August 15, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a left hamstring fascial defect status post-hamstring fasciotomy, and surgical scarring over the left hamstring. The Board also denied increased ratings for right and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy.

The appeal of the proposed action to reduce the disability ratings for neck strain with degenerative disc disease and cervical spondylosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy are dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis and lumbar DDD/spondylosis, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The appeal was dismissed as the claim has been fully resolved in favor of the Veteran, restoring his 30 percent disability rating for left hand third finger DIP radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the remaining claims for further development.

The Veteran was granted a separate initial evaluation of 20 percent for right knee instability from January 29, 2019 to March 5, 2025. The other claims were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hysterectomy, neck disability, loss of female sexual arousal, short term memory loss, sciatic nerve condition, right lower extremity and sciatic nerve condition, left lower extremity due to an inadequate VA medical examination.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of November 20, 2020, for the award of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with psoriatic arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, specifically to provide the veteran with adequate VA examinations.