Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disability and right knee disability are denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support their onset or relationship to service.,Service connection for PTSD is also denied, with an initial rating in excess of 50 percent being denied due to lack of objective medical findings of a current disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to radiation during active duty in Germany and obtain private treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's lumbar back condition and neck condition are related to his in-service injuries, as he reported during his deployment in Iraq. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches have been granted a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. The increased disability rating for his lumbar strain with facet disease and disc height loss has been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional records, including medical records from private treatment providers and Social Security Administration records. The Veteran's service connection claim will be reconsidered based on these new pieces of evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbosacral spine disability and aspiration pneumonia, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a lower back disorder is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the July 2015 VA examination and the need for updated treatment records.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete service treatment records and outstanding VA/privately held medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for Graves' disease, cardiological disability, colitis, left arm disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, back disability, cervical spine/neck disability, left lower leg/shin disability, and right lower leg/shin disability. The claims are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine condition, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and hypertension are being remanded for further examination to determine their current severity.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability and remanded it for further development. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 100% since March 18, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss and skin disorder were reopened due to new and material evidence. The rating reductions for lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, ocular hypertension, and low back disorder were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered her unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU due to these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand both claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a back disability due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for spondylolysis L-5, claimed as low back condition with pain, was granted. Claims for left knee and right knee conditions, as well as shin splints, were also granted. The claims for increased evaluations of bilateral pes planus, erectile dysfunction secondary to hypertension, seborrheic dermatitis, and PTSD are pending.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is warranted based on recent MRI findings and his inability to work due to pain. The case is being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and TDIU due to service-connected degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria, and there were no findings supporting a TDIU based on the disability alone.

The appeal for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied because the Veteran was not evaluated as totally disabled for a continuous period of at least 10 years immediately preceding death. The appeal for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is remanded due to missing medical records.