Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her right shoulder condition and cervical spine strain with radiculopathy, have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 31, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and compensable evaluations were granted, with the earliest effective date being June 28, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) was denied because his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for SMC based on a single disability rated as total and an additional disability ratable at 60 percent or more.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lower extremity diabetic ulcers has been remanded.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent prior to April 29, 2019. From that date, a higher rating is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes, hypertension, left ankle disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, back disorder, and lumbar radiculopathy. The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are etiologically related to active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and lumbar strain/myositis, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether a grant of TDIU is warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between his disabilities and service. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, acquired psychiatric disorder, left ankle disability, right knee disability, or lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back disability, hypertension, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy related to his back disability, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted the TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the effective dates are set at September 21, 2011. The Board has also remanded several issues related to lower extremity and hip disabilities due to lack of proper medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder was granted with an effective date of August 21, 2014.,A higher rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current neurological disorder is aggravated by his service-connected MFW residuals. The VA needs to obtain a medical opinion on this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right sciatic nerve impingement as secondary to his service-connected right hip disability, finding that the most probative evidence shows this condition is caused by his service-connected right hip disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on limitation of motion or other manifestations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the effective date earlier than October 15, 2013 for a separate compensable rating for sciatica of the right lower extremity and the matter of CUE in a January 14, 1983 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in February 2020 are inadequate for assessing the Veteran's range of motion. Therefore, a new examination is required to determine if there is any structural abnormality and whether passive range of motion would be more limited than active.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for back injury, right leg injury, and sciatic nerve condition due to a lack of service treatment records. The Veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine if his current disabilities are related to in-service parachute jump training.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve in both lower extremities is rated at 40 percent, but no higher. The evidence supports a finding that his symptoms are moderately severe.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for increased ratings prior to August 1, 2017 for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities and left hip degenerative joint disease as they were part of an already initiated legacy appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, anterior spondylosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since September 21, 2017. His TDIU claim is granted.