Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he is already receiving the maximum schedular disability rating for his tinnitus and does not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation or service connection for any of the other conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain outstanding private treatment records and provide the Veteran with VA examinations. The appeal will be remanded for these actions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his neck and back disabilities have been denied.,No effective date has been assigned for any of the benefits sought.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current service-connectable low back disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder, shin disorder (claimed as shin splints), or bruising of the upper back. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder is denied as there is no current disability.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied due to lack of evidence showing the condition began during or was caused by active service.

The Veteran's service-connected right foot nerve disability is rated at 10 percent, and her claim for a higher rating for this condition has been denied. The Board found no evidence of a back disorder that began in service or was linked to any established in-service injury, disease, event, or another service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right lower leg, thigh, knee, ankle, and back conditions have been denied. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions or any in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing the Veteran with new VA examinations to address the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is required regarding the Veteran's back disability service connection claim, including obtaining additional medical records and clarifying the opinions provided by the VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the lumbar spine disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor is it proximately due to a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in service and is not related to his period of active duty. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not caused by or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, concluding that there was no current diagnosis of such condition based on the evidence of record. The motion argues that this decision should be revised due to clear and unmistakable error.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's low back disability and left shoulder strain and arthritis with tendon tear.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative disc space narrowing, PTSD, left hip strain, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome. The Board has remanded the case for further development of her lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy, as well as issuance of a statement of the case regarding her initial ratings for service-connected left hip strain, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for low back disability was denied because there were no pending, unadjudicated petitions to reopen his service connection claim prior to May 14, 2001.

The appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 10 percent. The appeal for higher ratings has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, Tinnitus, Thoracolumbar Spine Strain, Right Ankle Strain, and Right Knee Disability, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete development and the need for additional medical opinions regarding his hypertension claim. The issues of service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and reopening of a previously denied claim are also pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, meeting the criteria for service connection.,Service connection is granted for degenerative disc disease of the neck as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability.