Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2005

The Board granted service connection for PTSD effective February 27, 2001. The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD prior to that date was denied. Service connection for a left wrist disorder and a back disorder were both denied. The veteran also received a grant of TDIU effective February 27, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins of the right leg, skin cancer, seborrheic dermatitis, fatigue, depression, cardiac disease, hypertension, and degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine. The preponderance of evidence demonstrated that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to a lack of new and material evidence in reopening her sacroiliac instability claim, failure to meet schedular criteria for increased ratings, and failure to show that she suffered an additional disability as the result of VA treatment.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a back disability or chronic headaches that are related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches and residuals of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, were denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The veteran's back disability is granted service connection, and he is not entitled to an initial compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left eye disability, lung disability (claimed as due to asbestos exposure), hypertension, acute sinusitis, and back condition (claimed as resulting from herbicide exposure). The reasons were that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and requests that additional records be obtained. The veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic back disorder will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to noncompliance with previous directives, including scheduling a VA examination and ensuring that all notification and development action required by VCAA were fully complied with.

The veteran's case has been remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The issues of increased rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and service connection for hepatitis C are still under review.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and low back disorders, as well as hypertension and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident. The evidence did not support current diagnoses or show that these conditions were incurred in service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for asthma and granted service connection for a low back disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left hip degenerative changes and lumbar degenerative changes at L4-L5 and L5-S1, finding no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of a low back disability, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hip strains/sprains and a low back disability on a secondary basis to the veteran's service-connected left knee disorder. The issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle disability is referred to the RO.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for reopening service connection for low back strain and hearing loss with tinnitus, and has not yet decided his claim for cervical spine disorder. The case is remanded to obtain VA treatment records and to issue a Statement of the Case on the neck disorder.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is rated at a combined initial rating of 90 percent, effective from June 26, 2000.

The veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back disability has been remanded due to his failure to appear at the scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the RO for rescheduling a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral defective hearing and a lumbar spine disability, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.