Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has remanded them for further development. The issues of service connection for back condition, left hip disability, and obstructive sleep apnea are all being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence. The claim for hypertension is also remanded as it may be related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and readjudication, including obtaining a VA examination to address the functional loss of his lumbar spine on both active and passive motion, as well as in weight bearing and non-weight bearing positions. The examiner must also assess whether the Veteran experiences additional functional loss during flare-ups or after repeated use over time.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination reports and missing medical records. The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine needs further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss. Right, tinnitus, lumbar spine, bilateral hip, and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and the issues of entitlement to increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected back and psychiatric conditions, along with other disabilities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disability and bilateral hearing loss are related to his military service, including exposure to noise from tank operations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for eczema, a chronic low back disorder, and a chronic acquired psychiatric disorder have been reopened. The claim for service connection for a chronic gastrointestinal disorder is still pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as his degenerative changes of the lumbar spine. The remand includes requests to obtain VA, DoD, and private treatment records; authorize release of any outstanding private treatment records; and schedule updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a low back disability is granted. The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 2014 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and thus new and material evidence has been received. However, the matter is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of any diagnosed low back disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a back condition and has not had one at any time during the pendency of her claim or recent to the filing of the claim. The right knee condition and major depressive disorder are both remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's bilateral hip condition is not related to service or his service-connected knees and feet disabilities, while his back condition may be related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the bilateral hips, knees, left shoulder, and thoracolumbar spine as there was no evidence showing a nexus to service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain with degenerative changes and hypertension, to include as due to PTSD. The claim for residuals of a left rotator cuff injury is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent prior to July 12, 2016 and 70 percent from July 12, 2016 onwards. The Veteran was granted a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was established for the lumbar spine disorder as secondary to PTSD with depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar degenerative arthritis was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show he had functional limitation consistent with a 20% rating, and thus, the preponderance of the evidence is against granting a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the current severity of her service-connected panic disorder, depressive disorder, and lumbosacral strain with DJD. Her TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability from the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70 percent prior to March 12, 2016 and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's CAD was rated at 60 percent and denied an increased rating in excess of 60 percent.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent from March 22, 2016 onwards and denied an increased rating.

Service connection for PTSD and a skin disability has been granted. Service connection for low back, right shoulder, left shoulder, and joint pain disabilities have not been established.,The Veteran's service connection claims were denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to his military service.