Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2002

The veteran meets the criteria for a 60 percent disability rating for his lower back disorder and is found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities, warranting a TDIU.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a dental disorder, and increased ratings for dermatophytosis of the feet and hands, and spondylolysis of left L5 with degenerative disc disease, L4-5 and L5-S1 were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal regarding his claim for an increased rating for hypertrophic arthritis of the cervical spine with right arm pain and degenerative disc disease. As such, the issue is dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disorder during service and no causal link between the veteran's current low back pain and service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the initial evaluations assigned for the veteran's low back disability and right knee disability are appropriate, but denied her claim regarding the left upper arm scar.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a lumbar spine disorder as a result of his service and arthritis of the lumbar spine may not be presumed to have been incurred due to lack of evidence within one year of separation from service.

The Board has dismissed the motion for revision of a decision based on clear and unmistakable error because there is no final decision to review.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted since the 1955 RO decision.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that it was incurred in service.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, effective from October 19, 2001. The claim for a compensable rating for his left wrist condition remains denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, back disability, and kidney disability as they were not shown by competent medical evidence to have a nexus or relationship to service or exposure to herbicides during service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected chronic low back pain with lumbar spine degenerative changes, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board found no evidence of a current low back or bilateral knee disorder and denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder and a back disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code was denied because he did not have a service-connected disability rated at least 20 percent disabling. The Boise Regional Office later granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, but the veteran still does not meet the eligibility criteria as his combined rating is only 30 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that it was not incurred as a result of his service-connected residuals of a fusion for herniated nucleus pulposus of L5-S1 or any other incident of his active service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded to the RO for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a back disorder, bilateral eye disability, and initial evaluations for hearing loss. The evidence submitted was not new and material to reopen the claim for service connection for a back disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left knee bursitis and chronic lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not support ratings higher than those assigned.