Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is etiologically related to his military service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, resulting in a combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and secondary service connection for a back disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability has not manifested in symptoms of such severity as to solely result in, or have the capacity to result in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. Therefore, a higher initial disability rating than 30 percent is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of the Veteran's eye condition(s), erectile dysfunction, and back condition, and readjudicating the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability, and his claims for service connection for bilateral knee disorder and mild degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition. The examiner found no link between any current conditions and service.

The Veteran's grandchildren, L.M. and A.M., do not meet the legal criteria to be considered dependents for purposes of additional DIC benefits due to lack of adoption or legitimate child status.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his Social Security records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for CAD is granted. The other issues are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board found that a higher initial rating of 40% for the Veteran's low back disability was warranted since July 8, 2014. Prior to this date, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining additional medical records and verifying his reported stressors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder, diagnosed as lumbar degenerative disease, was incurred in active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination and to obtain additional medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for postoperative residuals of a low back injury will be considered in light of the new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a kidney disorder, prostate disorder, or low back disorder during his lifetime and therefore denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar strain with spondylosis and right lower extremity sciatica is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar strain has been withdrawn by the appellant.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to her service-connected disabilities, primarily her thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives, including a failure to request testimony from a vocational expert referenced in an SSA decision.