Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further examination. The Board finds that his low back disorder, bilateral hip disorders, and sciatic radulopathy may be related to his right foot residuals.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a predecisional duty to assist error. A retrospective medical opinion is needed to assess the extent of his functional impairment from service-connected disabilities prior to February 13, 2020.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient examination opinions and a failure to obtain relevant medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, right eye macular pucker, and peripheral nerve disabilities of the lower extremities, have rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with her work and education background.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for heart murmur and an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals of earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar spondylosis, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar spondylosis, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity, PTSD have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal of a TDIU prior to August 26, 2016 has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to evaluate the Veteran's back disability and obtain relevant SSA records. The issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for service-connected disabilities and TDIU are being addressed.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 20 percent, but a higher rating of up to 40 percent is granted from September 20, 2018 to April 1, 2019 for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbosacral strain.,After April 2, 2019, a higher rating beyond 20 percent is not warranted. The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), including secondary to his IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the spine and lumbosacral strain, is also remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and radiculopathy, right lower extremity as it lacks jurisdiction due to concurrent elections.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his back disability was denied, and the effective date for TDIU was set at November 30, 2010. The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were each granted an initial 20% rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 17, 2012.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the service connection claims for low back disorder and sciatic nerve disorder, as they are inextricably intertwined. The case will be remanded for further medical opinions and development.

The Veteran's right bicep tendinitis is granted as service connected. The Board finds the Veteran's cervical spine, hip, and wrist disabilities are not related to his active duty or any other service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 13, 2019, or 20 percent thereafter. For TDIU, the Veteran met the schedular criteria for a single disability rated at least 60% due to his back and radiculopathy conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate VA examination and outstanding treatment records. The Veteran is advised that she should attend a new VA examination or provide good cause if she declines.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed as the benefit has already been granted in an October 2019 rating decision. The remaining claims of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy, a left shoulder disability, and a psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on his low back, neck, and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations that comply with Sharp v. Shulkin.