Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and is remanding the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his active or inactive service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

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The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a video conference hearing. The claims of service connection for various conditions remain under review.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, as well as whether he currently has residuals of a fracture of the big toe. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for schizophrenia and denied service connection for ulcers. The claims of service connection for arthritis of the hands, knees, and back are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been rated as 10 percent disabling since October 1, 2007. The appeal is granted for a higher rating.

The Veteran's disability rating for service-connected low back disability was reduced from 20 percent to zero percent, but the Board found that this reduction was improper and restored the previous 20 percent rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a cervical spine disability, but further development is needed before these claims can be decided. The Veteran needs to undergo another VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his current lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, personnel records related to the May 1965 motor vehicle accident, and any authorization for release of private treatment records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability based on new evidence. The issues of service connection for a back and/or pelvis disability, and for a psychiatric disability (PTSD) remain pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a back disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disorder remains pending.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low and upper back disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disability and granted a compensable rating (10%) for residuals of multiple rib fractures. The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, eye disability, right total hip replacement, and heart disability are dismissed.

The Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss in the left ear are found to be related to his service, with reasonable doubt resolved in his favor. The right knee disability is not currently shown as a separate condition from the left knee disability or back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service separation. The current diagnosis of degenerative disc disease was established many years after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed low back or left ankle disability, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion to revise a previous decision denying service connection for residuals of a fractured coccyx with residual low back pain due to insufficient pleading and failure to provide sufficient evidence that would have changed the outcome.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a back condition, including degenerative disc disease of the back. New evidence was submitted that relates to an unestablished fact and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.