Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion and the need for an addendum opinion from a different examiner.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including left wrist radiocarpal disease, right wrist radiocarpal disease, right wrist tendonitis, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), duodenitis, arthritis of the right foot, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for his lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to inadequate medical opinions. The main issues are about right knee, bilateral hand, Achilles tendonitis, left knee and foot disabilities, as well as lumbar spine and upper back disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for back condition and increased ratings for hearing loss and residuals fracture, right foot. As a result, the Board dismissed these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the receipt of additional relevant evidence after a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was issued. The SSOC must be furnished and the claims will be readjudicated with consideration of the new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral lung disability and bilateral upper/lower extremity radiculopathy. The decision is remanded for further development in the case of a bilateral eye disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.

The Veteran was found unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 5, 2012 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck disability, finding that it is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional vocational rehabilitation training benefits to obtain a law degree and retroactive induction into a rehabilitation program for completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management due to incomplete records and need for further evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of hiatal hernia/GERD and lower back condition.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for recurrent partial small bowel obstruction is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right hip replacement and lumbosacral strain, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board grants TDIU effective October 1, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing problems began many years after his military service and were not related to noise exposure during service.,The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, concluding that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's back disability originated during his military service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine/neck disorder, lumbar spine/back disorder, right knee disorder, right ankle disorder, right thumb disorder, and bilateral hearing loss as the appellant did not have a disability during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA that was aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various hip, knee, shoulder, and spine conditions are being remanded due to the failure of VA to schedule examinations as instructed in a previous Board decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in a previous decision regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The Veteran argues that his condition was aggravated by active service, but the examiner did not provide adequate rationale.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's lumbosacral spine disability, specifically for direct and secondary service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic back, right knee, and right wrist disorders on a presumptive basis as they manifested to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty.

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