Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression. The claims are now remanded for further development including VA examinations.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension and back condition are not service-connected. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease L4 to S1 with contact of left S1 nerve root and right knee chondromalacia have been remanded by the Board.,Further evaluation is needed to determine appropriate disability ratings for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, left leg/knee scars, and LLE nerve disorder to include radiculopathy and neuropathy.,There is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back condition, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The Board noted conflicting statements from the Veteran and lack of objective medical evidence supporting his claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a psychiatric disorder (variously diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, schizoaffective disorder (bipolar), schizoaffective disorder, depressive type, and paranoid schizoaffective disorder). The claim for low back disability is denied.

The Board denied all service connection claims, including those for hypertension, pulmonary or respiratory disability, cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, bilateral ankle disabilities, and drug dependency. The decision also remanded the claim for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claims, and did not find any of the conditions were related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss (BHL).,An earlier effective date for the grant of BHL was also denied.

The Board has determined that the claims must be remanded again for compliance with its prior remand directives due to inadequate examination findings regarding potential additional functional loss during flare-ups of the Veteran's neck and back disabilities.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar strain was denied. A staged initial rating of 40 percent, but no greater, was granted from February 27, 2017 to October 18, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evidence review. The issues include back disability, headaches (undiagnosed illness), left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (undiagnosed illness), right upper extremity neuropathy (undiagnosed illness), right lower extremity radiculopathy (undiagnosed illness), and left lower extremity radiculopathy (undiagnosed illness).

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including back disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral foot disability (plantar fasciitis), and hemorrhoids. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for insomnia secondary to tinnitus is denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back disability and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's lay statements are considered in both cases.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative changes L3/ L4 of the lumbar spine was denied. The Board also remanded her TDIU claim prior to March 27, 2019 due to incomplete records and instructed VA to refer the matter to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has decided the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran has a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes. The case is being remanded to obtain additional service records for tinnitus and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various lower and upper extremity neuropathies due to insufficient information regarding his Reserve duty dates, medical records completeness, and Line of Duty Determinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include osteoarthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, right knee strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy (associated with lumbar strain), and mild incomplete paralysis of the left radial nerve.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disability and lower extremity radiculopathy are related to his military service.