Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

Service connection for skin cancer is granted.,An initial rating higher than 20 percent for back disability prior to February 10, 2020, and higher than 40 percent thereafter is denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's application to reopen his tinnitus claim was granted, and service connection for tinnitus is now established. The effective date of the grant of service connection for sleep apnea has been advanced from March 8, 2013 to October 24, 2015. Service connection for low back disability and sinus disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability other than degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, manifested by low back pain, as there is no evidence of a current separate condition.

The Board has denied a disability rating greater than 10 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine compression fracture, finding that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate to make an informed decision on the Veteran's claims and requires additional remand for further examination.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including obtaining medical records and workers' compensation records. The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is also being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected acid reflux, lumbar spine, migraine headaches, left middle finger injury, and right arm scar disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal was granted for various conditions, including a 70 percent rating for PTSD and a separate 10 percent rating for meralgia paresthetica. The Veteran also received increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, left knee degenerative joint disease, and gunshot wound residuals. However, the Veteran did not receive a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or a higher rating for his left knee instability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has denied a higher initial rating for migraine headaches and remanded the case to obtain additional information regarding the low back disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to September 15, 2010 for lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was denied.,PTSD with alcohol abuse has been granted with a 70% rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarification on the diagnosis date and onset of the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine, as well as further development needed regarding the service connection claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a low back condition as secondary to a bilateral knee condition, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing Osgood-Schlatter’s disease in both knees, and that any current osteoarthritis is not related to service. The Board also found that the Veteran's low back condition is not service-connected.

The Veteran's scar of the neck has been granted an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher.,Service connection for a low back disability has been granted. The Veteran is also seeking a compensable rating for his epididymal cyst.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his multi-level stenosis of the lumbar spine, hypertrophic DJD (arthritis) of the thumb, index, and long fingers of the right hand, hypertrophic DJD of the ring finger of the right hand, hypertrophic DJD of the little finger of the right hand, or fracture of the carpal scaphoid of the right wrist with osteoarthritis.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a low back disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to insufficient evidence. The AOJ is instructed to obtain treatment records from Walter Reed Military Medical Center and provide VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and service connection for various upper extremity and spinal disorders were denied. The Board also found that the Veteran had not been provided with adequate examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his shoulder and spine conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition, right leg condition, and sciatica due to insufficient medical opinions addressing continuity of symptomatology and the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's low back disability. The issues of evaluating left knee and right knee disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion and acquiring updated VA and/or private treatment records. The issues of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and entitlement to special monthly compensation due to housebound are inextricably intertwined.