Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for lumbar spine disability and entitlement to a TDIU due to new evidence of worsening symptoms and lack of recent VA treatment records. The Veteran will need to undergo a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No decisions were made on the merits of any claims.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been reopened, but denied due to lack of evidence supporting the claims. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted and others are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to worsening of his lumbar spine and lower extremity conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar degenerative joint disease, frost bite to the left foot, and frostbite to the right foot. The appellant is also advised that VA medical records from prior to October 17, 2006 are needed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to March 31, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbosacral strain as the evidence does not support that it was incurred in or caused by active service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed low back strain and hearing loss. The VA needs to provide new medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records, including missing service treatment and personnel records. The case will be returned for further investigation.

The Board denied service connection for tuberculosis exposure, head injury residuals (including headaches and stitches to eyebrow), back condition, and neck condition. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a current disability or a link between the conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) have been remanded.,For the cervical spine DDD, the Board found that an extraschedular rating prior to January 10, 2017 is not warranted. A schedular rating in excess of 40 percent from January 10, 2017 for DDD of the cervical spine has also been denied.,For bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, a schedular rating in excess of 20 percent from January 10, 2017 has not been met.

The Veteran's degenerative joint/disc disease of the lumbar spine is considered to have started during her military service, and thus she has been granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and gastrointestinal disorder, but remanded the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating for right lung granuloma.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability, right hip disability, incontinence, sciatic nerve disability, and depression. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or were caused by service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back and left hip disorders due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar and left eye disabilities, finding no causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back pain, chronic cervical spine pain, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.,Service connection was not granted because the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any diagnosed conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran is granted TDIU prior to March 9, 2015. The Board finds that referral for extraschedular TDIU under § 4.16(b) is warranted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.