Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain additional medical records and determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, including pain and degenerative joint disease (DJD), is related to his service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for mild spondylosis of the lumbar spine and has also granted his claim for service connection for a low back disorder. The claims are based on direct evidence, with no presumption or secondary relationship.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not substantially comply with previous remand directives and thus, the claims are being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's back disability has been granted a 40 percent rating from December 7, 2016 to February 1, 2017 and again beginning June 1, 2017. The effective date for the increased ratings is not specified.

The Veteran's initial rating for cervical strain prior to February 13, 2011 was denied as the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's initial rating for cervical strain from February 13, 2011 onward and lumbar disc herniation were both denied as they do not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's cervical spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, and lumbar spine disorders were not incurred or aggravated during service. The current diagnoses of arthritis in these areas are not related to active service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on various conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the claimant.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s neck, back, right hip, and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran and his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for purposes of adjudicating the Veteran's claims on appeal and remands them for further development. The issues include service connection for spinal nerve degeneration with pain and numbness, back condition and degenerative arthritis of the spine; dermatitis or eczema and onychomycosis of the toenails; and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent beginning January 29, 2018. The Board has remanded the issues of rating higher than 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability and rating higher than 10 percent for the lower extremity radiculopathies.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of his delimiting date for VA educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, finding that he did not submit a timely request and that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from utilizing these education benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a back disability due to lack of new and material evidence, and because there was no causal relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Board has granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar strain disability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has dismissed the service connection claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a lumbar spine disability as there is not an adequate nexus opinion on whether his diagnosed lumbar spine disability was caused by his active duty service. The case must be returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining treatment records prior to 2007 and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining complete medical records and arranging for an orthopedic examination. The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are also being considered in light of new evidence.