Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back condition, diagnosed as degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, is granted. The Board affirms that his current disability is related to in-service injury and finds a continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for additional vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits, including a change in his long-range goal to obtain a master’s degree in Physics. The decision concluded that achieving maximum rehabilitation gain (MRG) had been met and that changing the long-range goal would not be more likely to improve his situation.

Service connection is granted for a back disability, including the middle and low back.,Service connection is also granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbar strain and a separate rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy related to the service-connected lumbar strain is partially granted. The Veteran still has an issue with his lumbar strain, but he now receives a separate rating for his left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine are at least as likely as not related to his in-service injuries, including a fall from a telephone pole and a motor vehicle accident. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vasomotor rhinitis and a back condition due to exposure to toxic chemicals and ground water contamination at McClellan Air Force Base (AFB) and Warren AFB. The Veteran is also asked if he wishes to continue his appeal for a back disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, right elbow disorder, headaches, right and left knee disorders, a right ankle/leg disorder, low back disorder, and psychiatric disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral foot disorder and lumbar spine disorder have been readjudicated.,Service connection has not been granted for a bilateral foot disorder or a lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's chronic nerve pain, headaches/migraines, muscle and joint pain, abdominal pain, fatigue condition, low back disorder, hypertension, appendix cancer or residuals of appendix cancer, and right knee disorder are being remanded for further evaluation due to the possibility that they may be related to service, including as part of a Gulf War illness.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his thoracic/lumbar spine, bilateral hand tremors, and right knee disabilities. The Veteran is required to provide an addendum opinion on these issues.

The Board has found that the appellant's claimed left knee, right knee, TBI residuals, right eye, and low back disabilities are not service-connected. The claims for these conditions have been remanded to allow further investigation into the timing of the injuries and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for a back disability was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran does not have a right hip disability as a result of service, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right leg disorder, TBI, and migraine headaches due to a lack of in-service medical records. The Veteran is advised to seek service connection for his hernia separately.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability was denied, and the reduction from 60 percent to 20 percent effective July 1, 2009, was upheld.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals to reopen her claims for service connection for a chronic back condition and right knee condition, but has remanded both issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine are currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral tinnitus, low back disability, liver disability (claimed as hepatitis C), and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether it is related to service. Service connection was denied for a lower back disability due to lack of evidence showing its onset during or within one year after service.