The Veteran's right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is currently rated at 20 percent, effective April 26, 2021. The Board has granted a higher rating of 20 percent for the period prior to September 1, 2020.,For the period prior to September 1, 2020, the Veteran's left sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent. For the period beginning September 1, 2020, it is rated at 20 percent. The Board has remanded this issue for further development.,The Veteran's headaches are currently rated at 50 percent and no higher. The Board has remanded this issue as well.,All other issues have been resolved.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding of moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve for both the right and left legs, but not worse, throughout the rating period on appeal.,The evidence does not support a higher rating for the Veteran's left leg radiculopathy prior to September 1, 2020. The Board has remanded this issue as it may be related to his right leg radiculopathy and requires further development.,For the period beginning September 1, 2020, the evidence supports a finding of moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve for the left leg. The Veteran's headaches are rated at 50 percent and no higher.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Sciatic Nerve Radiculopathy, Left Sciatic Nerve Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23051423
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 23051423.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The rating reduction of the Veteran's right and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective June 17, 2020, was improper. The ratings are restored to 20 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left sciatic nerve radiculopathy from February 18, 2021, to April 28, 2021, were denied as they did not meet the criteria for a rating more than 10 percent.
- Denied
The Veteran's right sciatic nerve radiculopathy was manifest by no more than mild incomplete paralysis prior to September 16, 2022. The Veteran's right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is manifest by no more than moderate incomplete paralysis from September 16, 2022, forward.,The Veteran's left sciatic nerve radiculopathy was manifest by no more than mild incomplete paralysis prior to September 16, 2022. The Veteran's left sciatic nerve radiculopathy is manifest by no more than moderate incomplete paralysis from September 16, 2022, forward.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for right sciatic nerve radiculopathy from November 9, 2020. Prior to that date, the Veteran's symptoms were rated as mild and did not warrant an increased rating.
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