Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct a pre-decisional error of the duty to assist.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for headaches, neck disability, back disability, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, and radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities to correct a duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia, multilevel cervical spondylosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with vertebral fracture, sciatica in both lower extremities, and left leg length discrepancy, but denied it for right leg length discrepancy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for low back disability and bilateral lower extremity sciatica to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the December 2021 decision on appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings as a matter of law due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues related to the right ankle, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and pes planus were remanded.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to ensure an adequate VA examination is conducted, which must consider the effects of medications.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right and left knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, require care and assistance on a regular basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, while the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and ratings for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), migraines, a neck condition, and cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity were denied.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the service connection of PTSD, right and left shoulder disabilities, and neck disability, as well as higher ratings for these conditions and a TDIU.

The Board remands the claims for higher initial disability ratings and entitlement to TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and tinnitus. The claim for a right eye condition was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an increased initial rating of 50 percent, while the ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve were denied.

The Board granted restoration of the 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability from August 1, 2020, up to July 14, 2022. The claims for earlier effective dates for the other conditions were denied.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and increased ratings for various radiculopathies and cervical spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of lumbar scars and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Board also denied a compensable rating for lumbar scars and higher ratings for both lower extremity radiculopathies and the lumbar spine disability, while granting TDIU from December 21, 2011.

The Board granted an initial increased rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for left lumbar radiculopathy, sciatica, effective February 28, 2020. The appeal for an increased rating for obstructive sleep apnea with restrictive lung disease was dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and a higher initial rating for back disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for sciatica of both lower extremities to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.