Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were previously terminated due to the expiration of his eligibility period. The Board has decided to remand this matter for further evaluation and determination of whether he currently has a serious employment handicap, which could potentially extend his eligibility.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions. The AOJ must obtain any outstanding VA treatment records, provide adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed disabilities, and consider a possible secondary relationship between PTSD and hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability. The reasons given were that there was no clear evidence of an in-service injury or disease leading to these disabilities, and that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's thoracic and lumbar spine disorder, headaches including migraines with aura, and neurological disorder of the left arm are all found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee strain, DJD (arthritis) of the cervical spine with IVDS, and radiculopathy with CTS of the right upper extremity.,The Veteran's heart disorder is also found to be secondary to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability with radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence of a lumbar spine disability in service or arthritis within one year following service. The VA examiner concluded that the current low back disability is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's upper extremity radiculopathies.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, specifically addressing secondary and aggravation theories. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are believed to be contributing factors.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back and right leg disabilities are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to address the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and bilateral leg sciatica due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his in-service injuries and current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disorder and sciatic nerve disability (associated with a low back disorder) due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service symptoms and chronicity.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a new medical opinion to determine if it is related to service or his service-connected hepatitis C. The issues of higher initial ratings for various joint disabilities and radiculopathy are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence submitted after a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is also rated at 20 percent, with no higher ratings granted.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The TDIU claim is granted, but only effective from October 7, 2010.

The Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity is currently rated at 40 percent and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the increased rating claims for further evidentiary development, including obtaining VA and private medical records. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is at least as likely as not related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him from April 1, 2015, through March 25, 2019. The Board granted TDIU during this period.

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability from November 30, 2017. The issues of increased evaluations for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of various peripheral neuropathy disabilities and prostatectomy residuals were denied. The Veteran was granted initial ratings, but the Board found that higher ratings were not warranted.