Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran is granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis from August 21, 2006, but no earlier. The effective date of the grant of TDIU was determined to be August 21, 2006.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased disability ratings for PTSD, degenerative disease of lumbar spine, left hip strain, and right hip strain with arthritis as it lacks jurisdiction due to the Veteran not opting into RAMP or filing an appeal after February 19, 2019.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, weakness of the right and left lower extremities secondary to lumbar spine disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cervical spine disability. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence that any of these conditions began during or were aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder condition, lower back condition, and neck condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of additional dependent compensation for his spouse is granted, with the effective date set at March 1, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left knee disabilities due to outstanding VA treatment records that have not been associated with the claims file. The Veteran is required to provide names and addresses of any relevant medical providers and updated VA treatment records are needed.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of muscle removal/damage, right side abdomen/stomach with surgical scar removed and transplanted to service-connected left calf.,The Board also denied service connection for a left shoulder condition. The low back condition was remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and right-hand injury have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claim for right-hand injury has also been reopened.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, left hip disorder, low back disorder, and right shoulder disorder have been granted. The claim for gastritis with mild duodenitis is remanded.,Service connection has been established for sinusitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and his laceration of the right eyebrow does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran’s kidney condition requires additional records to be obtained before a determination can be made.

The Veteran's appeals for increased rating for left knee disability, service connection for glaucoma and prostate disorder, special monthly compensation (SMC), and service connection for lumbar spine disability have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for prostate disorder has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for glaucoma has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is granted, but the claim remains pending as it was previously denied in April 2000 and reopened based on new evidence. The claim is still denied due to lack of medical evidence linking the condition to service.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left foot disability, obstructive sleep apnea, left ankle disability, right knee disability, and cervical spine (neck) disability have been remanded as further development is needed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for headache disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been remanded as further development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left knee condition is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine degenerative changes is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives, including a need for an extraschedular rating determination.

The Board has denied service connection for stenosis of the lumbar spine and a bilateral leg disability, finding that these conditions are not related to service or service-connected residuals of meningitis.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 16, 2015, and for ratings in excess of 40 percent thereafter has been withdrawn. The remaining issues - service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and sacroiliac disabilities - are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and readjudication due to an inadequate June 2018 VA Compensation and Pension examination, which did not meet the requirements of Sharp v. Shulkin.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his in-service injury and did not result in chronic disability during service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is due to natural degenerative changes and not related to his military service.,The Board also denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, concluding that there was no evidence of such a condition during or within one year after the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of increased rating for radiculopathy, left upper extremity and an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for radiculopathy, left upper extremity. The service connection claims for left shoulder strain and back disability are also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to inadequate examination reports and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's service-connected skin disability of the feet, headaches, back disability, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy are all in need of additional evaluation.