Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, a left leg disability, a left foot disability, a left knee disability, and a right knee disability to the AOJ for further development.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected right and left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) and remanded the entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for IVDS with DDD of the lumbar spine and in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities femoral and sciatic nerves, as well as the TDIU claim, to obtain additional evidence.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, but denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, and remanded several other conditions for further review.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain due to the service-connected right shoulder degenerative arthritis and a 10 percent disability rating for narcolepsy, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions and an initial rating in excess of the assigned ratings for PTSD with moderate alcohol use disorder, left shoulder strain with rotator cuff strain, and right shoulder strain with rotator cuff strain.

The Board granted a disability rating of 60 percent for left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 50 percent for depression.

The Board granted effective dates of July 16, 2020, for the grants of service connection and DEA benefits, but denied higher ratings for back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and sciatic radiculopathy disabilities but denied increased ratings for the psychiatric disorder and other conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and left leg sciatic nerve radiculopathy as the evidence did not support a higher level of disability.

The Board granted an effective date of January 22, 2021, for the assignment of a 40 percent evaluation for service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and for the award of service connection sciatica of the left lower extremity.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies, restored a higher disability rating for degenerative disc disease and lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, restored a previous disability rating for radiculopathy of femoral nerve, right lower extremity, and granted an increased 50 percent disability rating for migraines.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the increased 20 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities (sciatic nerve) but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for radiculopathy involving both femoral nerves, as well as for chemical pneumonia and Dietl's crisis.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to lumbosacral strain, restored a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbosacral strain with DJD, DDD, and IVDS effective April 7, 2023, and granted a 30 percent rating for left shoulder subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis from February 28, 2023.

The Board granted an effective date of December 5, 2019, for the grant of a 40 percent disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and a 10 percent disability rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent and earlier effective dates for service connection, as well as denied initial higher ratings for radiculopathies.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral pes planus and vertigo, while remanding claims for sciatica nerve pain, headache condition, and low back condition.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and denied an initial rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD with depression, adjustment disorder, and anxiety prior to May 21, 2020, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to the service-connected psychiatric disorder alone.

The Board granted service connection for a disability of the left scapula as secondary to costochondritis and granted a TDIU rating, while denying service connection for radiculopathy of both lower extremities and increased ratings for various disabilities.