Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right shoulder disability and degenerative changes of the thoracic and lumbar spines. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a spine disorder and denied entitlement to TDIU based on the lack of evidence linking current disabilities to service, including any presumptive exposure. The Veteran's back pain was found to have started in December 1971, well after his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and low back disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DDD and low back strain were aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability, granting service connection for these conditions as secondary to the left knee disability. The issue of an effective date prior to August 1, 2012 for a TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lower back, left shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The Veteran's claim of reopening his service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is pending.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for multiple disabilities, including a low back disability and associated shoulder and neck issues. The appeal has been remanded due to the need for further examination and clarification of etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issues include service connection for lumbar strain and spondylosis, depression as secondary to these conditions, and hypertension as secondary to these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back, left shoulder, and right index finger disabilities are not service-connected due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) of the Board.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA examination to assess the impact of the Veteran's service-connected back disability on his ability to work. The TDIU claim is also being referred to the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, migraine headaches, neck, and low back disabilities are related to service and grants service connection for all four conditions.

The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, consistent with mild (but not greater) incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, is rated as a separate disability from her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and entitlement to a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of a low back or neck disability during service and insufficient medical nexus to establish service connection. The Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining VA medical records and vocational rehabilitation records.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder, to include degenerative disc disease, did not result from his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is granted, and his lumbosacral strain is rated at 20 percent. The TDIU claim remains pending.