Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if service connection can be granted for a lumbar spine disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (depressive disorder), and erectile dysfunction. The issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the Veteran's inability to attend VA examinations and the need for additional medical records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a lumbosacral disability and secondary to a left shoulder disability due to lack of adequate examination.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hypertension, OSA, and PTSD. However, it denied the claims for a back disorder, right shoulder disorder, insomnia, and PTSD due to lack of evidence establishing a direct or secondary relationship with service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and earlier effective date for TDIU. The issues are currently under further review.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of hypertension, TDIU, and rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis of bilateral knees and ankles, a low back condition including arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's back and hearing loss disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation to determine their current severity.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for neck and back conditions due to a lack of medical nexus opinion addressing their relationship with his service-connected disabilities, specifically grand mal seizures and headaches.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for various disabilities, a reduction of the rating for prostate cancer residuals, and TDIU. The Veteran's claims are pending and need further investigation.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The appeal for bilateral hip disability is dismissed, and the low back disability claim is remanded.

The Veteran's cervical spine condition is rated at 30 percent, but no higher. The Board has remanded the issues of LUE radiculopathy and TDIU for further development.

The Veteran's initial increased evaluations for service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and intervertebral disc disease, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, are denied. The criteria for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent have not been met.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee and granted it. The issues of entitlement to service connection for lumbar sprain and left hip strain are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's AHD rating was restored from August 1, 2015 to June 26, 2016.,The Veteran also received a TDIU effective from the date of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations, and a new examination is needed to assess the current severity of the service-connected residual low back strain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, but dismissed his appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for epiphora.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint/disc disease was denied an increased evaluation in excess of 20 percent prior to November 11, 2015.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint/disc disease was granted a 50 percent rating effective from November 11, 2015.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity was denied an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent from July 18, 2018.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was denied an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent from July 18, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence of current symptomatology and treatment records. A new VA examination is needed to assess the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, but the appeal for other conditions remains pending due to remand.