Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back and stomach disabilities due to new evidence submitted since previous decisions. The claims are now to be reconsidered with consideration of this new evidence.

The Veteran's combined total disability rating is 90 percent, meeting the criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back pain secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus, bilateral leg shin splints, and bilateral ankle strains. The effective date of the grant of service connection for bilateral pes planus is remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable, and service connection for DJD of the right knee is granted. Service connection for a low back disorder is denied.

The Board denied service connection for an upper sacral spine disorder with bilateral neural foraminal stenosis and denied evaluations in excess of 40 percent for a lumbar spine disorder, separate evaluations for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and separate evaluations for left lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's sinusitis was also denied as having an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for back, right shoulder, sinus and respiratory disorders are not fully developed and therefore remanded. The Veteran's claims will be returned to the VA examiner for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma and calcified lymph nodes, finding that there was no evidence of their origin during service or as a result of service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and he is granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back strain, femoral radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability and multiple myeloma, finding no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine condition has been reopened, but the claim is denied. The Veteran's cervical spine disability remains rated at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and development of records. The issues include bilateral foot disorder, psychiatric disorder, neurological disorders of the lower extremities, GERD, low back disorder, bilateral eye disorder, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for a lumbar back disability and post-traumatic stress disorder are denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective October 11, 2013. This rating reflects the severity of his symptoms and functional impairment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to conflicting findings in his recent VA examination and the need for updated medical records. The low back disability, left ankle disability, and left fibula fracture residuals are all subject to further evaluation.

The Board has granted new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for a low back condition. The Veteran's low back condition is remanded for additional development, including an opinion on whether it is related to his service-connected left great toe amputation. His claim for a higher rating for his left great toe amputation with residual scarring is also remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before a decision can be made regarding the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, as his assertions indicate an increase in severity.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for thoracolumbar spine disability is denied as there was no prior claim or intent to file a claim before July 26, 2013. The Board finds the current effective date of July 26, 2013, is appropriate.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder and granted it. The case is remanded for further examinations to determine the current severity of residuals of left foot fracture, as well as for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, bilateral ankle condition, and right foot condition are at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected left foot condition.

The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for service-connected adjustment disorder and a higher evaluation for his low back disorder were denied. The Veteran's adjustment disorder is rated at 70 percent disabling, while his low back disorder remains at 40 percent.