Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back injury, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against his assertion that he incurred this condition during or as a result of his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a lumbar spine disability, bilateral eye disability (including glaucoma and cortical cataracts), right ear hearing loss disability, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and psychiatric disorder (PTSD).,For hypertension, the Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between service and current hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's back disability. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted more than one year after the last final denial.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the issue of a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and to determine if an earlier effective date is warranted for TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right elbow disorder, left arm disorder, low back disorder, and prostate disorder due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending before VA for further review.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a 20 percent rating prior to December 13, 2019 and denied any higher ratings thereafter.,For the period from December 13, 2019 onwards, the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent, while his left lower extremity radiculopathy remains at 20 percent. The Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are also rated at 20 percent.,The TDIU claim is remanded as it pertains to a period prior to December 13, 2019.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were granted. The claim for service connection for a lower back condition is being remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hip osteoarthritis is not service-connected, and his lumbar spine DDD results in a 40% rating. Separate ratings are granted for left knee instability (30%) and limitation of extension (10%). The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy does not warrant an increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress secondary to a service-connected tear of the rectus femoris muscle with healed scarring, low back disorder, right knee and hamstring disorder, right hip disorder, and left ankle disorder.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his low back disability and entitlement to TDIU were denied because he failed to report for the scheduled VA examination, which was needed to reassess the severity of his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection is denied. The effective date of the PTSD award remains July 12, 2015.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there is no probative medical evidence indicating the current condition was incurred in service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, L4-5 and L5-S1, and herniated nucleus pulposus. The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for service-connected radiculopathy, right lower extremity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for a higher initial rating for his back disability and a TDIU are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted in December 2007, March 2016, and June 2017. The case will be further examined to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected DDD of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a low back disability. The issues of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral knee disability are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent effective July 17, 2017. Prior to that date, the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral foot disability, bilateral knee disability, and lumbar spine disability due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 23, 2007.