Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's sensory dysfunction involving the right lateral foot, posterior thigh, and lateral leg with sciatic nerve involvement was restored to a 20 percent rating. The appeal regarding the timeliness of the Veteran's substantive appeal in response to the March and April 2018 statements of the case (SOCs) is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a rating of 70 percent from November 22, 2013. The appeal is remanded for further evaluation on the issues of increased ratings for various conditions.

The Veteran's sinus disability is granted on a presumptive basis as due to exposure to particulate matter. Other service-connected disabilities are denied or not addressed.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations for the Veteran's claimed left lower extremity radiculopathy disability were inadequate and remanded to consider whether the Veteran's reported symptoms result in functional impairment of earning capacity. The case is now being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has granted effective dates of October 22, 2014 for the awards of service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and SMC are remanded due to outstanding VA and private treatment records.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including whether they are related to her military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve was granted a 10 percent disability rating effective March 23, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left lower extremity condition and arthritis. The examiner is required to provide a fully explained rationale for their opinions.

The Veteran's RLE radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, effective October 20, 2020.

The Veteran's lumbar IVDS and associated radiculopathy were rated based on their combined disability rating of 80 percent, with separate ratings for each affected nerve.

The appellant withdrew their appeals for the cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and glaucoma claims.

The Board has jurisdiction over these issues as part of the cervical spine arthritis rating claim. The Veteran's radiculopathy claims are remanded for a VA neurology examination to clarify whether he has upper extremity radiculopathy and its severity, and to determine if it is related to his service-connected cervical spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lumbar spine disorder, render her unable to maintain substantially gainful employment consistent with her education and occupational background.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including anxiety and depression, tinnitus, bilateral foot disorders, left knee disorder, bilateral sciatic nerve disorders, and sinusitis, have all been denied. The Board found no current disability associated with the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy was dismissed. The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted with a 70 percent rating throughout the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy and bilateral knee osteoarthritis have been granted. However, the claim for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection claims and rating increases due to the appellant's death.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis and left lower extremity radiculopathy and sciatica (claimed as left foot disability). The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to his in-service motor vehicle accident, which resulted in a back injury requiring surgery.

The Board has denied service connection for back disorder, left sciatica, and left hip disorder as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or his service-connected left ankle arthritis with tendinosis.