Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's employability.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy were granted a rating of 40 percent each, effective March 28, 2013.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes related to bilateral hearing loss. The appeals for service connection for other conditions are remanded due to failure of the VA to provide the Veteran with VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed as moot because the issue was fully granted in a February 2025 Rating Decision. The claim for increased rating of left upper extremity radiculopathy remains on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to work prior to March 22, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to correct a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the issuance of the HLR rating decision currently on appeal. The Board will obtain a VA examination to determine whether his service-connected disabilities alone render him in need of either regular aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating for PTSD is dismissed because his Notice of Disagreement was not filed within one year of the January 2025 rating decision. The Board also remanded the issues regarding right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has granted an effective date of March 15, 2019 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate due to the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease with cardiomyopathy. The decision also grants earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and effective dates was denied. The decision specifically addressed the issue of an increased rating for PTSD, which was found not to meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's non-VA emergency care at Blake Hospital in May 2018 was deemed emergent and necessary due to a hand injury that exposed an infection. The Board found that the nearest available facility (Blake Hospital) provided appropriate treatment, which was not feasibly available from VA facilities. As such, the claim for payment or reimbursement of non-VA care is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy was granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent, effective May 18, 2022. The Board found that the evidence supported a moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for left knee strain, right knee injury, cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain to include degenerative disc disease and IVDS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and tension headaches have been granted effective October 9, 2023.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date were denied as the appropriate effective date is October 9, 2023.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in not obtaining relevant VA treatment records and medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to his service-connected hip, knee, and other conditions.

The Board has decided to remand all four issues related to the Veteran's back and nerve conditions due to duty-to-assist errors. Specifically, a new examination is required for functional ankylosis of the spine and for the severity of the radiculopathies.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to service connection, including for low back disability and its associated conditions. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to errors in the decision-making process regarding her exposure to toxins during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection awards of cervical strain with spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The effective dates were set at September 27, 2010.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for ratings higher than 20 percent for right sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies, and more than 10 percent for left sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies.