Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability and residuals of TBI due to insufficient information regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran needs to undergo medical examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PFB. Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.,Service connection was not established for PTSD or schizophrenia due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The cases for left wrist pain, lumbosacral strain, and right ankle sprain are remanded due to inadequate examination findings.

The appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed. The appeals for the remaining issues have been REMANDED.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for MDD was denied, and his service connection claim for left lower extremity radiculopathy was also denied. The low back disorder claim resulted in a grant of a higher rating.,Claims for compensable ratings for scars status post pilonidal cyst removal and scars status post left knee surgery were both denied.

The Veteran's jaw disability claim is denied as there is no diagnosed condition.,Prior to June 27, 2022, the low back disability was rated at 10 percent. From June 27, 2022, a 20 percent rating is granted.,The GERD with status post right inguinal hernia repair claim remains pending as there are no compensable ratings assigned prior to June 27, 2022.,Service connection for the left eye disability must be remanded due to lack of a statement of the case (SOC).,Prostate cancer (adjudicated as cramps and pain in the testicles) claim is pending as there are no compensable ratings assigned prior to June 27, 2022.,Service connection for skin disability of the feet and face remains pending due to lack of a statement of the case (SOC).,Heart disability (adjudicated as chest pain) claim must be remanded due to lack of a statement of the case (SOC).,Right carpal tunnel syndrome claim is pending as there are no compensable ratings assigned prior to June 27, 2022.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted. The Veteran does not require regulation of activities to manage his diabetes. As for TDIU, the evidence shows that the Veteran has met the schedular criteria but is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected back disability and radiculopathy are being remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with previous Board directives. The Veteran must be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder is related to her service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for right ankle, back, and right hip disabilities. The claim for service connection of a right knee disability is still pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and development, as a new VA examination is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and his reported symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back disability and liver disability due to inadequate examinations and failure to address relevant medical history.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disorders are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for a right leg disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral eye disorder. The claims were remanded due to the lack of VA treatment records from active duty service.,There is no current diagnosis or evidence of functional impairment of earning capacity related to any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient development and examination, including missing VA treatment records and inadequate opinions regarding his neck, back, knee, and hypertension disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, neck, left upper radiculopathy, and right upper radiculopathy due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran served as an Airborne Pathfinder in the Army.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), osteopenia, and degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine prior to April 18, 2022. The claim for increase in rating for degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine thereafter remains before the Board.,The Veteran's service connection claims were previously remanded due to issues with evidentiary development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The issues have been remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a respiratory disorder, back disorder, skin disorder, kidney disorder, abdominal aneurysm, glaucoma, and right eye disorder are all remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.