Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and earlier effective dates for various conditions related to his military service has been denied. The appeal is not about service connection, but rather the evaluation of existing disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's coccyx injury and his current back disability, as well as the potential aggravation of the coccyx injury during active duty service. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine these issues.

Your claims for service connection for low back and neck disorders have been granted in full, effective March 16, 2010. There are no remaining issues to appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence showing an in-service injury or disease and concluding that any present disability is not related to active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a VA examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected thoracic myofascial strain and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied as there is no evidence that the current condition is related to active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease is no longer being appealed for an increased rating.,A higher initial rating of 40 percent has been granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy.,Service connection for residuals of a nose injury and sinusitis (secondary to allergic rhinitis) have been reopened, but not yet established as service-connected.,Service connection for residuals of a right pinkie finger injury has been reopened, but not yet established as service-connected. Service connection for sinusitis (secondary to allergic rhinitis) has also been reopened and is presumed based on the secondary relationship to service-connected allergic rhinitis.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis has been granted, with sinusitis being granted as secondary to allergic rhinitis.,The Veteran's right pinkie finger injury residuals are not yet established as service-connected.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection and rating of the Veteran's low back disability, bilateral shoulder disabilities, and tender left inguinal ligament require further development due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's current back disability is related to his military service, including parachute jumps during active duty. However, the VA examiner provided a negative opinion without considering all relevant factors and thus a new examination is required.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's lower back condition and its connection to his military service. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, neck, left ankle, and lung disorders due to insufficient evidence in his service treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate examination reports and failure to address specific evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for thoracolumbar spine sprain and scoliosis, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back injury and neurobehavioral effects, finding insufficient evidence to support these claims. The case is remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, as his combined schedular disability rating is at least 60 percent from September 30, 2011. The Board finds that the weight of evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due to these conditions.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and the Board found that none of his service-connected conditions contributed substantially or materially to his death. The cause of death was determined to be end-stage liver disease due to Hepatitis C.

All claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew all appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active duty service. The claim was reopened due to new evidence received since the last denial.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disorder and hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling medical examinations.