Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has not fully addressed the service connection for the Veteran's low back disability and right lower extremity disability, including as secondary to a low back disability. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for a VA examination.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for low back disorder and PTSD. The cases are remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination.

This decision dismisses the appeal for an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction. It grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The appeals for service connection of various conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records. The Veteran reported injuries and breathing problems during service, which need to be verified through alternative sources.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate the use of a low back brace, but his shirts are not damaged by the brace. The Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for an annual VA clothing allowance.

The Board denied service connection for neck, left knee, right knee, right foot, lower back, and GERD disorders as the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development and adjudication, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was likely caused by his service-connected PTSD, and therefore grants DIC benefits on this basis.

The Veteran's lumbago and chronic low back pain (posttraumatic) are rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that this rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.,The Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is denied.,Service connection for COPD is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Board has determined that there are outstanding VA medical records and requests the Veteran to provide them. The claims for service connection will be remanded until these records are obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease and denied service connection for strain of the right great toe with arthritis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to April 30, 2013 and a higher initial rating for his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability has been reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for the low back disability claimed as secondary to the right knee disability.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis, residuals of pneumonia, and lichen planus of the bilateral wrists and ankles due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a back disability is denied as there is no evidence showing the condition began during his active duty or training periods.,Service connection for a left foot disability is also denied, with no onset identified during qualifying service and no evidence linking it to in-service events.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar radiculopathy, increased ratings for left and right wrist disorders, and an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his lumbar strain have all been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for multiple myeloma, increased ratings for lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claim for service connection is based on exposure to ionizing radiation during military service.