Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a supplemental opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot condition caused or aggravated his current right knee and low back disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for consideration of an extraschedular evaluation for pes planus and a TDIU rating. The Veteran's claims are pending further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records related to his claimed alcoholism. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and right knee disability have been granted, but are no longer before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including epilepsy, lumbar spine arthritis, right knee instability and chondromalacia, do not render her unemployable prior to August 13, 2009.

The Veteran's thoracic spine compression fracture with chronic lumbar strain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and left lower extremity neurological manifestations, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The claim for diabetes mellitus type II was also denied due to lack of exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability due to lack of evidence linking current symptoms to service. Service connection was also not granted for multiple myeloma as there is no evidence it had onset during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board videoconference hearing due to her and her representative's requests.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety. The Veteran's hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and pain in the right and left sides are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the evidence received since the December 2007 rating decision is not new and material with respect to the service connection claim for lumbar stenosis with nerve damage to the bilateral lower extremities, and therefore, the claim may not be reopened.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the conditions listed in his claims, and therefore denied all of them.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a lumbar strain prior to January 28, 2014 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for a lumbar strain from January 28, 2014 was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and back disability are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease, and there is no competent medical opinion linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development into the nature of his lower back disability between March 1, 2013 and August 5, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and whether his back disability is related to decompression illness during service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for thoracic strain and remanded her back disability claim. The case will be further developed with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her back disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his increased rating claim for bilateral pes planus. The new evidence received since the final denial of these claims is found to be material and sufficient to reopen them.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his low back disability was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a higher evaluation under the applicable VA rating schedule.