Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran is granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for his service-connected low back disability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, and his left shoulder disability warrants a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic lung cancer, which is service-connected. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.,The Appellant is not entitled to an effective date prior to June 24, 2015, for the award of special monthly compensation based on her need for aid and attendance.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims for psychiatric disorder, residuals of a head injury, tinnitus, right eye disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are not etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's back disability was initially assigned a noncompensable rating. The May 2012 rating decision assigned a 10 percent rating effective August 31, 2010, and a May 2013 rating decision assigned a 20 percent rating effective February 12, 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of reserve service records. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of diabetes mellitus, including as secondary to a service-connected disability was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of diabetes mellitus during or within one year after service and the Veteran did not meet the criteria for chronic disease under VA compensation purposes.

The Board has ordered additional examinations and remanded the case for further development due to incomplete or insufficient opinions in previous VA examination reports.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disorder, left knee disorder, and back disorder on a new and material basis. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypersensitivity to fire ant bites was not granted.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 10 percent prior to September 9, 2016, and increased to 20 percent thereafter. The left knee patellofemoral syndrome was not granted an initial rating higher than 10 percent.,A 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine degenerative joint disease from September 9, 2016, is granted.

The Board denied service connection for back and neck disorders as the evidence did not show a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current back disability that began during or was caused by her active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities. The acquired psychiatric disability claim is pending.

The Veteran's lumbar strain disability has been manifested by symptoms of painful motion and stiffness that are productive of noncompensable limitation of motion. For the increased rating period from March 1, 2014, the Veteran's lumbar strain disability has not met or more nearly approximated the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to March 31, 2009. The VA Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of the Compensation and Pension Service determined that he was not entitled to a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The right knee disability has been rated as 20 percent since October 28, 2014.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current back disability to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and right shoulder disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.