Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for a comprehensive examination of the Veteran's employment capacity given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period prior to April 13, 2011 is denied. The Board grants a TDIU from April 13, 2011 and finds that his service-connected disabilities preclude substantial gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the right foot. The Veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disabilities are pending, as is his claim for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran has requested to withdraw all of his claims due to receiving a total disability rating based upon unemployability (TDIU). As such, the Board dismisses all issues on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his initial rating claims for lower back strain prior to June 4, 2014, lumbar radiculopathy in right lower extremity, and lumbar radiculopathy in left lower extremity. The appeal was based on the Veteran's service connection award but not on a direct service connection claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral restless leg syndrome has been withdrawn. The remaining issues of service connection for a back disability and sciatica are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for the provision of VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities warrant an extra-schedular disability rating, as the current schedular ratings do not adequately contemplate the collective impact of his conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for service-connected hypertension and TDIU are denied. The claims for higher ratings for service-connected lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were evaluated, but the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes have not been met.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his service-connected left L5 radiculopathy and depressive disorder did not warrant evaluations in excess of 40 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and PTSD, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as herniated disc with radiculopathy and lumbar spondylosis, is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected left knee disability. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral cervical radiculopathy is causally related to his service-connected cervical strain, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's neck injury, left knee DJD, and chondromalacia patella conditions.,The current ratings of 20%, 10%, and 10% remain unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his service-connected lumbar spine DDD and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left hip degenerative arthritis and lumbar strain, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right leg and hip disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his military service or any service-connected condition. The Board also found insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ulcer disease claim.