Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back condition is etiologically related to service and grants her claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded this case for additional development, including a comprehensive vocational assessment and functional capacity evaluation to determine the Veteran's ability to perform in his occupational field given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and scoliosis, had its onset in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, which is secondary to frostbite and rated as 20 percent disabling in each extremity, contributed substantially or materially to the Veteran's death. As such, the claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Board found that the appellant's current neck disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to a disease or injury incurred during his period of ACDUTRA in June 1984, and thus denied service connection for residuals of a neck injury.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records, as well as an examination for the Veteran's knee, shoulder, back, and neck disorders. The appeal will be remanded to allow these actions.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected lumbar spine and left peroneal nerve neuropathy has been withdrawn.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected disabilities and determine if she has a current diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative disc disease and spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity were denied. The Veteran was not granted any new disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar herniated disc and right hip disability, both found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot disability. The remaining claims of service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and left hip disability are remanded.

The Board found no evidence of a current thoracolumbar spine disability related to service, including periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA). The Veteran's lay statements were not credible as he did not report recurrent back pain in military examinations. Therefore, the claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) due to the Veteran not receiving the most recent SSOC, which did not afford him an appropriate period of time to respond.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability and his service. The claim will be reviewed again with additional development.

The Board has found that the Veteran's skin disorder and low back disability are related to his active service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's diagnosed low back disabilities, including degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease, are at least as likely as not related to service. The preponderance of evidence supports this finding.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of low back disability and right knee disability. The Board finds that these disabilities are related to service, with the onset occurring during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, back, neck, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.