Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar degenerative arthritis began during service and has continued since then, finding it at least as likely as not related to his military service. As such, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete compliance with previous remands and a need for further medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's low back disability and his service-connected seizure disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to asbestos exposure, diabetes mellitus type II, low back disorder, hypertension, vision loss, and sore throat. The Veteran is required to provide VA with release forms to obtain his private treatment records from relevant providers.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds no higher rating is warranted. The evidence does not show that his range of motion or other symptoms warrant a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disability and service-connected headaches due to conflicting evidence in the record regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and a lumbosacral and thoracic sprain due to inadequate examinations in July 2017. The Veteran is required to undergo new examinations to determine if his current diagnoses are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to in-service falls and granting reopening of the issue of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are evaluated at 10% prior to January 21, 2020, and 20% beginning from that date. The Veteran is denied an evaluation in excess of these ratings.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40% prior to April 25, 2016 and remains at that rating.

The Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral degenerative arthritis and strain is currently rated at 40 percent from April 28, 2021. The Board has determined that the current ratings are less than the maximum available ratings and remands the case for further development to determine appropriate disability ratings.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. Service connection is now established for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inaccuracies in the record, including incorrect identification of the Veteran's service period and an inadequate medical opinion. The RO is instructed to correct these issues and obtain additional records.

The Veteran's neck, right hip, and back disabilities are related to his active service. The Board granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is denied as the current disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for her thoracolumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disabilities. The Court vacated these decisions, finding that the VA examinations were inadequate in addressing flareups.,The Veteran's claim for service connection of her gallbladder condition is remanded to allow for further development.

The claim for service connection of left thigh injury has been reopened, but the case is still pending as a new VA examination is needed. The low back disability secondary to left thigh injury is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for new evidence. The Veteran's low back disability is being reviewed again.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined disability ratings did not meet the schedular requirements and there was insufficient evidence showing he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for higher evaluations of his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is being remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and a need for additional examination.