Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability, finding no competent or credible evidence of an in-service injury and no link to active service.

The Board denied service connection for back and neck disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his chronic low back strain was denied as the evidence did not show ankylosis or incapacitating episodes due to intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and additional disability of the low back, as well as several other issues, are being remanded due to insufficient development or evidence. The remaining claims have been addressed in the November 2019 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle condition, lumbosacral strain, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential aggravation by service-connected right ankle condition. The VA examiners are instructed to provide opinions on whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by the right ankle condition.

The Board denied service connection for a back condition, neck condition, and bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities. The Veteran's claims were not supported by medical evidence linking his current conditions to his active military service.,There is no direct evidence showing that the Veteran's current back, neck, or radiculopathy conditions are related to his time in the military.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, bilateral shoulder disorder, low back disorder, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran did not have these conditions during service or within a presumptive period.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability and remanded the issue of rating his left knee disability in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's back disability is granted as service-connected. The left-hand, right-wrist, and left-elbow disabilities are denied. The left-knee disability is remanded for further review.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities had their onset during service, granting service connection for these conditions. The back disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability, migraines, and peripheral neuropathy of both hands and feet due to incomplete records and unclear etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to service. The VA examiner needs to provide a clear and unmistakable opinion on both the presence of a pre-existing lumbar spine disorder prior to service and if it was aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and left knee disability, finding that these conditions are not related to his service-connected ankle sprains.

The Board has granted effective dates of January 31, 1991 for service connection and TDIU due to the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU as of November 27, 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. Prior to this date, the criteria for a TDIU were not met.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and hypertension. The decision is not about the rating assigned or effective date.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disorder, neck/cervical spine disorder, respiratory disorder (including bronchitis and COPD), and acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and effective date determination due to pending development needs.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, neurological impairments of the upper extremities, and acquired psychiatric disorder have been dismissed. The Board found no evidence of a service-connected condition related to these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to a lack of evidence showing that he filed a claim prior to April 8, 2010.