Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease was granted at 60 percent, effective April 12, 2011. From March 30, 2016, the Veteran is also entitled to SMC due to having multiple service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or more.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity sciatic and femoral neuropathies are granted a 20 percent rating from February 19, 2013 to July 7, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted effective April 29, 2014. The decision also grants earlier effective dates for the conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives, and an addendum opinion is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied attorney fees as the attorney did not represent the Veteran during the phase of the appeal when he sought increased ratings for his service-connected low back disability and separate ratings for pain and paresthesia in his bilateral lower extremities, as well as entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to concerns about the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the most recent examination reports. The Veteran's service connection claims related to bilateral shoulder, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, and left foot disorders are being returned to the AOJ for additional development.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left upper extremity was denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent prior to February 4, 2020 and a rating in excess of 40 percent thereafter.,For his degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine, he was denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 26, 2013 and a rating in excess of 40 percent from that date onwards.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including cardiovascular disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, acquired psychiatric disability, neurological disability (vertigo), bilateral hip and knee disabilities, bilateral ankle disabilities, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, and a rating for multilevel spondylosis and mild spinal stenosis. The remand requires additional examinations and medical opinions to address the Veteran's claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and cervical radiculopathy, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for frostbite of the feet, lower back disorder, and bilateral lower extremity and upper extremity disorders due to unresolved issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not cause the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, as his physical impairments are due to nonservice-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The issues of entitlement to a left shoulder disorder, an increased rating for right shoulder degenerative arthritis, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a chronic lumbar spine disorder, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disorder, bilateral hip disorders, and neurological disorders of the upper extremities, as there was no evidence showing these conditions were related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from March 7, 2016 to January 17, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and requests for further information.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for extraschedular consideration due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical strain is rated at 30 percent, and his radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities are each rated at 20 percent from December 7, 2009. The Veteran's ratings for radiculopathy have been denied as they exceed 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease at L4 and L5 S1, along with chronic strain of the lumbar spine, is rated 20 percent disabling. The radiculopathy of both lower extremities remains rated 20 percent disabling.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and initial ratings have been withdrawn.,Service connection was granted for diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, left and right sciatic nerve peripheral neuropathy, left and right femoral nerve peripheral neuropathy, and left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The effective dates of these awards are January 16, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his low back disability was denied.,An initial rating of 40 percent, but no higher, for RLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve is granted effective February 21, 2012.,An initial rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for RLE radiculopathy of the femoral nerve is granted effective December 27, 2011. The claim for a higher rating prior to this date was denied.