Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2001

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected chronic low back pain and hypertension, finding that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for back disability due to new and material evidence submitted since the August 1993 denial. The case is now remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the appellant requesting withdrawal of the appeal. The issues related to increased ratings for various knee and spine disabilities have not yet had a SOC issued on the issue of effective date for TDIU.

The Board dismissed the veteran's motion for revision of a prior decision due to lack of finality and because the issues were subsequently readjudicated under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed upper and lower back disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and are not presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to Agent Orange or other environmental factors. The veteran's current back conditions are considered unrelated to his military service.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service. The effective dates of these grants have not been determined.

The Board has remanded the case due to new legal requirements and the need for additional development of evidence, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the validity of the veteran's claims, including verifying stressors and conducting VA examinations.

The Board has determined that an effective date of October 25, 1985, is warranted for the grant of a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected low back disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected low back disability. The effective date for the grant of VA compensation benefits for the cervical spine disability is set at July 9, 1990.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a low back disorder, residuals of a left tonsil papilloma, and lung disorder. The decision also addressed an initial evaluation for residuals of a right zygoma fracture but did not assign any rating.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, effective April 22, 2019.

The Board denied the reopening of the appellant's claim for service connection for a back disorder superimposed on congenital spina bifida due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back disability is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected right knee disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his low back strain with arthritis in sacroiliac joint, snapping iliotibial band syndrome of the right hip, and snapping iliotibial band syndrome of the left hip are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current functional loss.

The veteran's low back disability, characterized as lumbosacral strain, is rated at 10 percent effective January 5, 1996 to August 20, 1996. The rating for the right herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1 with history of right leg numbness remains at 20 percent as of August 20, 1996. A 10 percent disability rating is granted for osteoarthritis of the knees and ankles effective December 1, 1996. The veteran's vagina cystocele and residuals of excised bilateral ganglion cysts are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, effective from August 7, 1998.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain and found that the veteran's PTSD warranted a 50 percent rating since September 6, 1992.

The veteran's service-connected cervical and lumbar myositis are rated at 20% each, but his other conditions do not warrant additional disability ratings. The Board denied pension benefits as the veteran is not unemployable due to these disabilities.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral defective hearing was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a recognized disability under VA regulations. The claims of service connection for low back disorder and PTSD are remanded due to the need for additional development.