Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 20 percent, and his radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 10 percent. The case is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess his lumbar spine disability, including flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of his low back and left shoulder disabilities as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability due to lack of medical evidence showing an increase in severity beyond the natural progression of the pre-existing conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death from an accidental overdose of methadone. Further development is needed, including obtaining autopsy and toxicology reports, private treatment records, and a medical advisory opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedules.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and back disabilities due to a missed VA-contracted examination. The Veteran was denied service connection in an October 2016 rating decision based on lack of evidence from the scheduled examination.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for certain rating claims and the notice of disagreement regarding service connection was not timely filed.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a neck disability, evaluation of residual scar and decubitus ulcer of the left foot, and TDIU rating due to conflicting evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders, including left and right shoulder disorders, lumbar spine disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder. The Veteran was requested to appear for a DRO hearing but did not attend.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, and depression have been granted increased ratings. The Veteran has also been awarded a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.,No specific exposure basis was provided for any condition.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, low back, right knee, and left knee disorders due to the lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.,Service connection was also denied for a disability manifested as numbness and tingling of the right hand secondary to a service-connected bicipital tendon tear and labral tear of the right acromioclavicular joint.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current back condition is related to his military service.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim because they had to recoup his separation pay, which was deducted from his disability compensation benefits.

The Veteran's claims for bladder dysfunction, effective date prior to March 19, 2013, and TDIU prior to March 17, 2016 are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent since June 5, 2017. A separate 10 percent rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with his service-connected lumbar spine disability was granted prior to March 1, 2016. The remaining issues are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues related to an earlier effective date for service connection and separate ratings for back and left lower extremity radiculopathy, including a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in a previous rating decision.

Service connection for a low back disability is denied as the Veteran's arthritis was not shown to be related to service.,Service connection for chronic sinusitis is granted as it began during active service and persists to the present.