Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disability and acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, due to new evidence received since the last decision. The claims will be adjudicated on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's effective date for SMC benefits based on housebound criteria is denied because the earliest possible effective date is May 1, 2014.

The Board has determined that the VA examination reports are missing and needs to be obtained. The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left hand injury, low back condition, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of cold injuries to his hands, need to be remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his cervical spine condition, right cubital tunnel syndrome and radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied. The Veteran is currently receiving a TDIU.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to August 8, 2016 and 20 percent thereafter. The rating for the condition remains unchanged.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of lumbar spondylosis and denied it as not related to service.

The Veteran's clothing was damaged by a brace he uses for his service-connected left knee disability. The Board has granted payment of a clothing allowance for the calendar year 2014.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a back condition due to new and material evidence provided by the appellant. The appeal is granted as far as this issue, but the case is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for osteopenia, cervical spine disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, hepatitis C, left upper extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to lumbar spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to lumbar spine disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to lumbar spine disability. The Board also remanded the issue of a rating for service-connected lumbar contusion, myositis, and lumbar spondylosis in excess of 20 percent prior to May 17, 2012 and in excess of 40 percent from May 17, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, or any link to service. The Board found that the claimed conditions are not related to service and do not qualify under the presumptive provisions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, right and left lower extremity conditions (including hamstring, sciatica, radiculopathy), left hip disability, right hip disability, and tumor condition. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that these disabilities are related to military service or secondary to service-connected disabilities.

Your claim to reopen a service connection for a lumbar spine disability has been dismissed as the Board already decided this issue in March 2016.

The Board denied service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his disability.

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

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for right hand injury due to the Veteran's withdrawal request. The issues of increase rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease and compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for impaired fasting glucose was denied as it is not a disability for VA compensation purposes.,PTSD service connection was granted with an effective date of December 29, 2016. An earlier effective date prior to this date was denied.,An initial PTSD rating in excess of 10 percent was denied.,Bilateral pes planus service connection was granted with an effective date of April 29, 2011. An earlier effective date prior to this date was denied.,Service connection for a skin disability was denied.,Allergic rhinitis was granted as related to the Veteran's active service.,The claims for cervical spine and sinus disabilities were reopened.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disabilities were not incurred in service and are not otherwise etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for residuals of left eye injury, bilateral hearing loss, and headaches was denied. The claims for service connection for low back disability, heart disability, diabetes mellitus type 2, traumatic brain injury, acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD and depression), and TDIU prior to October 11, 2011 were remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is for increased ratings and secondary service connection for various disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain new VA examinations.,The Veteran has multiple service-connected conditions, including bilateral pes planus, shin splints of the left and right lower extremities, lumbar spine disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral knee disability. He is seeking higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities.