Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current condition and events in service.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a right thumb laceration and remanded the remaining issues due to new evidence received since the last decision. The Veteran's claim for bilateral shoulder disorder, neck/upper back disorder, lower back disorder, and bilateral knee disorders is still pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, joint pain disorder, reaction to an anthrax shot, migraine headaches (secondary to PTSD), chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative changes, and fibromyalgia. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to make a determination on the Veteran's claims for service connection for his back disability and bilateral lower extremity disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, effective from August 7, 2000.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current level of disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Service connection for an upper and lower back condition was also denied, with no evidence showing such conditions during service or at present. The eye condition claim was granted on a secondary basis to diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was aggravated by his participation in a military firearms training course, resulting in increased symptoms and requiring surgical intervention.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic low back strain with spasm is pending.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, which is now granted.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The VA examiner determined that the low back disorder is not related to service and was more likely due to natural aging or her sedentary occupation. The Board also found no evidence of a neck condition during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded another VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected low back disability and whether he is unemployable due to this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral foot strain disabilities are remanded to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's initial claim of a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was granted, with an effective date of May 29, 2006. The Board remanded the case multiple times and in August 2013, he was assigned a 40 percent rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability since January 14, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disorder due to missing VA medical records and an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability and residuals of a left rotator cuff injury, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claim for hypertension was remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 60 percent, and he is granted TDIU effective from July 17, 2005. The claim for a higher rating based on the musculoskeletal back disability remains denied.

The Veteran's incisional neuroma has been rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.

The Veteran's death was ruled due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and low back pain with degenerative disc disease. The Board found that the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s) were met as there was a single service-connected disability rated as total (PTSD) and an additional disability independently ratable at 60 percent (low back pain with degenerative disc disease).