Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to incomplete records and the need for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine, left hip, right hip, and left leg disabilities due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, finding that there is at least an equipoise of evidence in favor of the Veteran's contention that his current neck condition is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for additional development due to inadequate retrospective opinions regarding his thoracolumbar sprain.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional examinations due to difficulties in scheduling VA examinations in China, and the need to reinvestigate the evidence related to service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of VA examination addressing his lay statements regarding back pain since military service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant records, including those from Social Security Administration, and schedule a new audiological and orthopedic examination.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, a right shoulder disorder, and a higher disability rating for right wrist strain due to incomplete notification regarding scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to deficiencies in previous opinions regarding service connection for hypertension, low back disability, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's TDIU based on service-connected migraine headaches is granted, and he is also entitled to SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board denied service connection for left knee and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no evidence of a direct relationship to service. Service connection for psychiatric disability was also denied due to lack of corroborated stressor events.

The appeal is dismissed as moot because the benefit sought on appeal (a reduction of a rating from 40% to 20%) has already been granted in a previous decision.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder and lumbar spine disorder. The VA is required to provide new medical opinions that consider the Veteran's lay statements about his in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and consideration of whether increased ratings should remain denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic pain syndrome is related to his service-connected disabilities and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period from October 1, 2014 to August 14, 2017 due to insufficient evidence showing he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability but has remanded the left shoulder disability claim due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar degenerative joint disease and related sciatic and femoral radiculopathies have been granted increased ratings from May 21, 2014 to July 7, 2022. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are also noted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examinations and evaluations due to his knee, lumbar spine, left lower extremity sensory deficits, and other disabilities. The issues of increased ratings remain pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and new evidence received since the December 2020 Supplemental Statement of the Case. The Veteran's low back disability is being reviewed for a new examination that considers his in-service injury and post-service symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations related to cervical spine, hip, right ankle, lumbar spine, and pulmonary disabilities due to incomplete or insufficient examination reports.