Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bursitis and remanded it to obtain a new VA examination. The low back disorder is also being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine with residual radiculitis is being remanded due to incomplete records and further development needed.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the current low back disabilities are not attributable to service and arthritis was not manifest in the initial post-service year.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for pulmonary fibrosis and the residuals of a low back injury. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain relevant medical records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, secondary to his left leg disability. The evidence shows that the Veteran's low back pain was caused by his in-service injury and is aggravated by his pre-existing left leg disability.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lower back. The claim for DIC benefits is moot as a result. The earlier effective date claim for TDIU award resulting in accrued benefits was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar disc disease with disc herniation L4-5 and umbilical hernia have been denied. The VA determined that the current evaluations do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury and a back disability. The Veteran's TBI is found to be related to his active service, as are the residuals of his TBI including headaches, hypersensitivity to light and sound, and poor attention span. The Board also finds that the Veteran's back disability is at least as likely as not related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and updating treatment records. The Veteran's low back disability is being evaluated to determine if it is related to service or a pre-existing condition.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder and right knee disorders are not related to his active duty service or any service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder and back disorder are not causally or etiologically related to service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as an addendum to the previous VA examination report. The Veteran's claim of service connection for arthritis will be reconsidered.

The Board finds that the Veteran has a residual disability affecting his thoracolumbar spine that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, as they do not meet the schedular requirements for such a rating. The appeal is REMANDED for further development and consideration.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability and determined that new evidence received since the August 2003 rating decision relates to an unestablished fact and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Board also denied service connection for a urinary disorder, as well as increased ratings for IBS/psychogenic gastrointestinal reactions and hemorrhoids.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a low back disorder. The reopened claim is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision below and is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected scar residual of the right knee area.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, which reflects his forward flexion being greater than 40 degrees but not more than 60 degrees. The Board finds that this rating adequately captures the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, skin disease, psychiatric disability (including PTSD), and Parkinson's disease are still pending.