Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left foot disorder, and a low back disorder due to additional development being required.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and requests for additional development, including an estimate of flexion range from a private treatment record.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service.

Entitlement to TDIU is granted from September 10, to November 20, 2012, and as of July 3, 2014. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment during these periods.,TDIU was denied prior to August 31, 2011, due to the Veteran's full-time employment at that time.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee and lumbar spine disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions in the previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development and notification, including providing clarification of a January 8, 2018 notification letter. The Veteran must be provided specific correspondence addressing his January 2018 and October 2020 inquiries and clarification of the aforementioned notice letter.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and SSA records. The TDIU claim is also referred to the Director, Compensation Service for consideration prior to October 19, 2017.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are remanded due to incomplete VA examinations.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to address the Veteran's low back disability, as his previous examinations did not comply with the June 2019 remand instructions. The appeal is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatica is granted as service connected, with the Board finding it likely caused by his service-connected lumbar spine DDD and cervical spine spondylosis. The other issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and degenerative joint disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine were denied as his conditions do not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded several issues including earlier effective dates for LLER and RLER, higher ratings for back disability and radiculopathy, and a TDIU claim due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include LLER, RLER, and back disability.

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals before the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbar spine condition is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that has not yet been considered by the RO.

The Veteran's initial rating for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine prior to November 28, 2012 is granted at 20 percent. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine from February 1, 2013 onwards is denied. A separate rating of 40 percent for RLE radiculopathy is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of all pending claims.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for psychosis, for the purpose of establishing eligibility for treatment under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1702 is dismissed as his claim was moot due to a full grant of benefits for major depressive disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine is not service connected as it did not begin in service and is not caused or aggravated by her service-connected knee disabilities or obesity.