Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to August 30, 2016 is granted as his service-connected disabilities meet the schedular criteria and render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for a dental disability and further examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease, hypertension, partial colon removal, kidney disorders, tremor disorder, and neurological disorder of the feet.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and bilateral flatfoot as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left ankle disorder, lower back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and Hepatitis C as they are all related to a deceased veteran.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection of a back condition and denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The Veteran's symptoms did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and left knee degenerative joint disease, secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder. However, both conditions were denied as service connected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and right hip disability, finding that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of in-service injury or disease. The preponderance of the evidence supports the VA examiners' opinions that these conditions are not related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disorder has been denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,Service connection for insomnia, claimed as a sleeping disorder, has also been denied due to lack of etiological relationship with active service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for lower back and heart disabilities, but has remanded them for further development to clarify dates of reserve service and conduct VA examinations.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as there are no findings of ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot because she has a combined 100 percent schedular rating for rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, making her unemployability due to service-connected disabilities moot.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and its relationship to his service-connected low back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that her current disabilities were not incurred in or caused by service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as aggravated by a service-connected postoperative deviated nasal septum, but denied service connection for cardiac disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, lower back disorder, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right shoulder disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for an additional VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lower back disorder.

The Veteran's low back disability, including a pinched nerve, is not due to or caused by VA treatment for prostate issues. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The issues of TDIU, new and material evidence, and remanded issues are also addressed.