Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected lower back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as these conditions do not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU.

The Veteran's disability rating for DDD of the lumbar spine was restored to 40 percent effective August 1, 2014. The claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete examinations and the need to obtain updated employment information.

The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher initial rating for degenerative disc disease with L5-S1 herniation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The issues include hearing loss, tinnitus, shoulder disabilities, low back disorder, multiple joint pain, and eye disorders.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease for the back, status post lumbar laminectomy and fusion is being remanded due to a need for an updated VA examination that assesses the current severity of his condition and satisfies recent precedent requirements.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, the Board has determined that additional development is needed before a determination can be made regarding whether service connection should be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's upper back condition, diagnosed as cervical spondylosis, is service connected. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations, treatment records, and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his low back disability and bilateral lower extremity sciatica. The Veteran must be provided with a new VA examination to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for a disability other than PTSD, leg disability, lumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy has been dismissed due to his withdrawal during the December 2019 Board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability, including any associated neurologic impairment. The issue of entitlement to a total rating based on individual employability (TDIU) is also part of this appeal and will be addressed concurrently.

The Veteran's request to reconsider the denial of service connection for back disability is granted. The Board has decided that new evidence received since the June 1987 denial requires reconsideration of the claim, and thus remands it for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder not otherwise specified. The appeal was remanded for further action on other issues, but these were no longer before the Board due to a grant of service connection for bilateral knee conditions and left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's cardiovascular condition, claimed as coronary artery disease, was not incurred during active service and is denied.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not begin during active service and is denied.,The Veteran's back condition was not incurred during active service and is denied.

The Board has remanded several cases for further evaluation due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of functional loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives regarding service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back condition is related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for a back condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left ankle disability has been withdrawn. The Board granted the TDIU claim, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.