Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board finds that the appellant's current low back problems are unrelated to her active service or any incident therein, and thus denies her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VCAA notice and a VA examination for his right ankle disability. The claims will be readjudicated after the development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to a 40 percent rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability, effective from March 8, 1994. The cervical spine disability was rated at 30 percent since February 2, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including carcinoma of the liver, COPD, lumbar spondylosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, varicose veins, and weakness of the legs. The decision also addressed nonservice-connected pension and special monthly pension claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule him for a videoconference hearing at the RO in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disability and increased evaluations for his right shoulder disabilities. The evidence did not establish that any current conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the malfunction of the recording device during his previous hearing. He wishes for another hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at his local RO.

The Board has granted service connection for multilevel degenerative disc disease and an extra-schedular evaluation of 60 percent for right knee traumatic synovitis with incoordination secondary to pain from February 17, 1998, to December 29, 2002. The decision is mixed as it grants service connection but denies the request for a higher schedular rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the spine, osteoarthritis of the right knee, and osteoarthritis of the left knee are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar strain with DDD and DJD of the left knee, as well as service connection for hypertension. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted an initial increased rating to 20 percent effective May 12, 2010. Prior to this date, the claim was denied as not meeting the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and new evidence from a private physician.

The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was granted. The Board also found that the Veteran's upper extremity and hypertension disabilities are not secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudicative action due to missing VA outpatient treatment records from August 2011 to January 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA spine examination and consideration of all received evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim due to incomplete development, including a lack of a VA social and industrial survey. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a lumbosacral strain with spina bifida occulta due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was rated at 10 percent prior to March 1, 2008 and increased to 40 percent from March 1, 2008 through November 30, 2008. The residuals of a fractured left elbow were rated as non-compensable prior to May 6, 2011 and at 10 percent thereafter.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are mixed, with some issues granted (lumbar spine) and others denied (elbow).