Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, upper and lower back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and tinnitus. The conditions are found to have begun during active service.

The Board previously denied service connection for lumbosacral and cervical spine disabilities, but the Veteran has appealed this decision. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the PTSD issue. A new claim for service connection for PTSD was filed, which could impact the TDIU determination.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for low back disorder, right hip disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, eczema of the right lower leg, and bilateral hand tremors were all granted.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and a back condition have been reopened. The Board has decided to remand both issues due to the need for additional development, including verification of in-service stressors and an examination to assess the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and her service.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's cause of death, suicide, was related to his service-connected low back disability and other conditions. The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on this matter.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not related to his service, and the claim for this condition is denied.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) preexisted service and was not aggravated during service. The claim for OSA is denied.,The Veteran's back disorder has been remanded for further examination and determination of its etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for back disability, residuals of a stroke as due to head injury, depression as due to head injury, and migraines as due to head injury are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of whether the Veteran is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to November 26, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incomplete compliance with previous remand orders, including the need for new VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disease, lumbar disc disease, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to deficiencies in the VA examinations conducted. The Veteran is to be provided with new VA examinations to assess his conditions and determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hip condition, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, lumbosacral strain with degenerative disk disease, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to his active military service or service-connected conditions, as well as assessing their severity.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current back conditions and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are related to his service. The issues of service connection for these conditions will be reconsidered after the examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right hip, right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA spine examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and whether he has a neurological disorder affecting either lower extremity.

The Veteran's appeal for left ear hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss in his left ear.,The Veteran's appeal for right ear hearing loss is denied as it results in no worse than Level I hearing impairment, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective November 13, 2014. Right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 10 percent from November 13, 2014 to December 19, 2018; 20 percent from December 19, 2018.

The Board dismissed all appeals for increased evaluations and the reopening of claims for service connection. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective October 6, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound were denied as he did not meet the requirements for either benefit.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and right shoulder disabilities due to incomplete records and need for additional medical nexus opinions. The Veteran's allegations of in-service physical attacks are being investigated, but without confirmation of hospitalization records, it is unclear if these conditions can be linked to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a low back disability has been dismissed due to their death.