Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a lumbar spine disability is denied as the earliest date entitlement arose was October 11, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 10%, the left hip disability at 10%, and all other conditions were not granted service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck and low back disabilities, finding that these conditions are as likely as not caused by stress injuries sustained during her military service.

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

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted an initial rating of 30 percent, effective August 21, 1998. The lumbar spine disability remains at a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection were denied. The lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, while the right and left lower extremity radiculopathies are each rated at 10 percent. Service connection for a left hip disability secondary to the lumbar spine disability was remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a low back disorder due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and an incomplete medical history review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot condition, back condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The cases are now remanded to the RO for further development.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the low back and neck, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or within one year of separation. The Veteran's current symptoms were attributed to aging, genetics, and generalized wear and tear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's neck disability is now rated at 30 percent, effective October 17, 2018. His back disability remains rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his PTSD and right eye injury, which are rated at 30% each. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise as to whether these conditions prevent the Veteran from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis was granted, and he is now receiving a 20% evaluation effective September 19, 2011. The decision also addressed the retroactive effective date of this rating.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 20 percent from September 15, 2016 to July 16, 2017.,Service connection for right hip arthritis was denied.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from November 6, 2004 to May 3, 2009 for his service-connected back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to undergo further examination and provide any additional medical records.

The Board denied service connection for sleep problems and chronic fatigue, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are accounted for by his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection was also denied for low back pain due to lack of evidence linking it to service or Gulf War service.

The Board denied service connection for pain of the left great toe, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and a chronic low back condition including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.,There is no current diagnosis of CFS or any other specific condition related to the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease with stenosis is rated at 40 percent, but no higher. The Board found that the Veteran's forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine was most accurately approximated as limited to 30 degrees or less.