Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a low back disability due to incomplete consideration of new evidence and failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease with right lower leg recurrent sciatica, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the condition was related to an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to incomplete development of records and conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that it is attributable to active duty or a line-of-duty injury during ACDUTRA. The decision resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims, including a VA examination to assess his sarcoidosis and other service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that his current condition did not originate in service or due to a service-connected leg injury. The evidence supported the conclusion that his back pain was related to post-service employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hip disability and a low back disability. The claim for residuals of pelvic bone stress reaction is remanded to obtain an etiology opinion.,Additional medical records will be obtained, and a VA examiner will provide an opinion on the nature and likely cause of any residual pelvic bone disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to a higher evaluation for his back symptomatology and TDIU. The RO must obtain relevant federal records, request SSA disability benefits records, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete certification of her service treatment records and need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inconsistencies in previous opinions and a need for clarification on whether diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including nerve impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right and left ankle musculoligamentous strain, right and left knee osteoarthritis, right and left hip disabilities, and bilateral flat foot. The decisions are based on direct service connection as there is no indication of a presumption or secondary condition.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are granted service connection, with a compensable rating for hypertension. Bilateral hearing loss disability and sinusitis claims are denied.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for a residual scar, left middle low back, status-post gunshot wound (GSW) iliac crest fracture surgery is granted. The issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as secondary to service-connected bilateral hips disability, due to inadequate examination findings and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions obtained on remand are inadequate and requires further examination or opinion to address the Veteran's claimed disabilities, their onset during service, and any relationship to his service. The case is therefore being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to September 4, 2019 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Veteran also received an award of TDIU effective March 5, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and psychiatric disorder due to inadequate VA examinations from 2013. The Veteran's service records do not show any specific diagnoses related to these conditions during service, but he alleges they developed in service or are related to his military duties.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions in a previous VA examination, and further development is required.

The Veteran's SMC claim for regular aid and attendance is granted. The automobile allowance claim is denied due to the absence of permanent loss of use of one or both feet, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of knees or hips in his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim before July 17, 2002, is remanded for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD) as the evidence is at least evenly balanced and resolves in favor of the Veteran.