Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the hearing loss and low back disorder claims are remanded due to need for additional development.

The Board has determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of an increased rating for lumbar strain remains pending.

The Board has determined that the reductions of ratings for back and neck disabilities were improper, and restored the original ratings. The Veteran is also granted entitlement to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected right ankle disability. Additionally, new medical opinions are needed to assess whether his claimed low back disability, left ankle disability, bilateral hip disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and adjudication, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the etiology of his bilateral foot disability, right shoulder disability, and low back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings in regard to his service-connected back, right shoulder, and left knee disabilities is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that has not yet been reviewed by the AOJ.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative changes with IVDS and radiculopathy of the femoral nerves were not found to warrant a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The evidence did not show sufficient impairment for higher ratings.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to his combat experiences in service and the benefit of doubt has been applied, granting service connection for PTSD. The left knee increased rating claim will be remanded due to lack of Correia compliant examination. The right knee and lumbar spine claims are also remanded as there were no proximate cause opinions provided.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records related to his 1996 diagnosis of tendonitis and treatment from a civilian doctor.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for depression. The Veteran is granted service connection for this condition, as it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings of his lumbar spine disability has been denied. The VA determined that the current assigned ratings adequately reflect the severity of the disability.

The Veteran's tinea pedis has been rated at 10 percent, but no higher. Service connection for bilateral pes planus and hallux valgus (claimed as bunions) is denied. Service connection for a lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to determine if service-connected back and hearing loss disabilities contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back condition, a right shoulder disability, and a cervical disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board found that there was no in-service event or injury related to these disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and left knee disabilities, but denied service connection for a right arm disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to inadequate VA examinations in determining entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss and back condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's PTSD claim was reopened based on new evidence but still denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The evidence received since the April 2005 denial relates to these conditions and provides a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues related to service connection and rating of a lumbar spine disability, as well as clarification regarding memory problems secondary to multiple sclerosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an abdominal muscle disorder was denied. The claims of increased ratings for lumbar spine DDD and left hip DJD, as well as the claim for increased rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were also denied. Service connection for tinea pedis (athlete's foot) was granted.