Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, finding no evidence of a pending claim prior to August 6, 2003, for service connection. The claims were also denied for service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypokalemia, a right knee disability, and a back disability due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities or a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were granted, with the exception of allergic rhinitis. The Veteran was awarded a 10 percent disability rating for low back strain with hip strain, a 40 percent rating for polycystic ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids, and an initial compensable rating for right foot scar.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability and low back disability, finding no evidence of a direct relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the March 1989 rating action is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen her claims for service connection for disabilities of the neck and back including lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), diabetes mellitus, and a low back disorder have been granted. The claim for residuals of a left ankle fracture has also been reopened.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is required.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a lumbosacral strain, finding that the new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and need for further examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further procedural and evidentiary development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature of her low back disability and its relationship, if any, to her service-connected left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability, and thus denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of his death. The appellant is also not entitled to Dependence and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, and the Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess current functional impairment due to these conditions.

The Board is unable to determine if the Veteran's back disorder was incurred during his active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or in-service, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings on an extraschedular basis, finding that the current schedular evaluations adequately reflect his disability picture.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lower back disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not proximately due to his service-connected lateral meniscus tear of the right knee. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease is rated at 40 percent, and his left and right leg external popliteal nerve disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeal was granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and no specific decision on the merits can be made.