Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various knee disabilities, back disability, and left hip disability. The issues have also been remanded for a jaw disability claim.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, lumbar radiculopathy, and carpal tunnel syndrome as they are not causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder, manifested by pain, is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a left knee condition and a right knee condition are granted as secondary to service-connected hallux rigidus of the right great toe and right ankle disorder.

The Board has denied the claim for service connection for a low back disability due to failure of the Veteran to appear for a VA examination without good cause shown.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral great toe disability, bilateral knee disability, scars, lumbar spine disability, and heart condition have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been reopened and granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding no evidence of direct or secondary service connection. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish aggravation by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for a back disability, including degenerative disc disease, is granted. The Board found that the Veteran had chronic low back pain since service and provided sufficient evidence to support this finding.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The VA examiner noted no pre-military noise exposure and no post-military noise exposure, but did not provide a clear opinion on whether his current hearing loss is related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as there is no evidence that his current condition was caused by or worsened by VA treatment, and the preponderance of the evidence supports this conclusion.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability makes it impossible for him to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, diagnosed as lumbosacral spine degenerative disease with degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is due to her in-service injury. The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's lumbar disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve), but denied any request for higher ratings. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was found to be productive of disability equivalent to a limitation of motion to 30 degrees or less, warranting an increased rating of 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's discharge was not due to willful and persistent misconduct, thus allowing VA benefits. The issues of service connection for low back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and sleep apnea are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back and neck disabilities due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending before VA for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, left foot disability, and left ear hearing loss are all rated at the lowest possible level (10%) due to their current severity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities are not service-connected as they did not occur during a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, low back disorder, neck disorder, and hemorrhoids due to incomplete examination reports and failure to address all relevant evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, a cervical spine disorder as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder, and a left hip disorder as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder.,Service connection was not granted because the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's back disorders were related to active service.