Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to failure to appear at scheduled VA examinations and inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran is required to provide a current address, any outstanding records are to be obtained, and he must cooperate with the development of his claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to assess functional loss during flare-ups or repetitive use.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and migraines were denied increased ratings.,A rating for incomplete paralysis of the right femoral nerve was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and rating considerations due to the need for updated assessments of his service-connected disabilities, particularly those affecting his knees and hips. The issues include increased ratings for various knee and hip conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen their claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disability. Service connection is now established for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis (claimed as gout), muscle and joint pains, left shoulder disability, left elbow disability, left wrist disability, lumbar spine disability, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral eye disability, dizziness, headache disability, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim was remanded for further action on some issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability, radiculopathy, and PTSD preclude him from performing any type of employment due to his physical limitations and mental impairments.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, neck disorder, back disorder, and foot disorder due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and compensation for scars have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no current disability. The claims for service connection for lumbar spine and upper extremity nerve disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's ratings for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity have been restored to 20 percent effective May 8, 2015. The reduction in rating was found to be improper due to lack of improvement in function.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of his lower back condition due to insufficient reasoning in the previous VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbosacral disc disease has been rated at 10 percent since January 2015. The VA examiner found that the condition does not meet criteria for a higher rating as it did not result in forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees or a combined range of motion of less than 120 degrees.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability is reopened, but the issue of whether it was incurred in or aggravated by service remains pending. The Board has ordered additional development to determine the nature and likely etiology of his current low back disability.

The Veteran's low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities are granted service connection. The initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, neurocognitive disorder due to TBI, and unspecified personality disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, right shoulder, back, and neck conditions have been denied. The issues of increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the left knee and total arthroplasty with surgical scarring are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete addendum opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine strain and acquired psychiatric disorders (major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder) but has remanded the issues of timely notice of disagreement regarding hysterectomy and dental disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine L4-L5, L5-S1, status post laminectomy x2 have been reopened. New evidence has been presented that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.