Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral foot disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during or related to active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for her lower back condition. The claims for service connection for dysmenorrhea and adenomyosis as secondary to service-connected ITP are remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 100% rating, his right wrist disability and carpal tunnel syndrome are each granted initial ratings of 50%, and he is granted a TDIU. The back disability issue has been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and TDIU related to his back disability is being remanded due to the need for further development of his medical records and an examination.

The Veteran's GERD and lumbar strain (previously classified as DDD, lumbar strain, and Scheuermann’s disease) claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Board finds that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but has remanded the issues of service connection for right shoulder and hip disabilities as well as TBI. The Veteran's claims are currently under review.

The Veteran's application for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance and/or adaptive equipment was denied because his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility under VA regulations.

The Veteran's lumbosacral disability was denied an evaluation greater than 10% prior to January 2, 2019 and a rating greater than 40% from that date.,The Veteran's bladder cancer residuals were also denied an initial evaluation greater than 20%. The RO found the condition secondary to benign prostatic hypertrophy and lower urinary tract symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and essential tremors are remanded due to a need for updated VA treatment records and new medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to initial disability ratings in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain with lumbar degenerative arthritis and 10 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate prior VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not show forward flexion greater than 30 degrees but less than 60 degrees or ankylosis of the spine.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded to seek a new examination to assess his range of motion and functional loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities have been granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss has also been granted. However, the Board has remanded these cases due to a lack of medical opinions regarding the etiology of the disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent prior to December 3, 2013 and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,From December 3, 2013, the Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability was denied. A separate 10 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the service-connected lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for lumbar spine DJD due to inadequate examination and failure to address certain evidence.

The reduction in the rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability from 40 to 20 percent was improper, and the restoration of a 40 percent rating is granted.

All issues on appeal are remanded for further development and consideration. The Veteran's hypertension is found to be due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.,The Veteran's chronic bladder cystitis is remanded as the VA examination did not address this issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, including degenerative disc disease and as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, has been resolved. The issue is dismissed.