Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of myopia and TBI. The low back condition claim was reopened, but the appeal remains pending as it is being remanded. The PTSD rating was restored to 70%.

The Veteran's back condition is granted as service connected. The left leg condition and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active service and there is no causal relationship between the present disability and an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, to include neuropathy, and hair loss due to procedural errors and new evidence. The VA Regional Office is required to consider this additional evidence in their next decision.

The Veteran's disability ratings for his lumbar spine and associated lower extremity radiculopathies were improperly reduced. The original ratings of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability and 20 percent for each affected nerve were restored.

The Board has decided that the earlier effective dates for service connection of various disabilities are remanded due to incomplete documentation regarding scheduling of VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee arthritis, right knee arthritis, and lumbar spine arthritis as secondary to his service-connected left hip disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his low back disability was denied as the evidence did not demonstrate that his disability met or approximated the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, low back disability, and bilateral knee disability due to lack of compliance with previous directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for gouty arthritis of the left and right knees and low back, as well as service connection for a gastrointestinal disability (claimed as gastritis), to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent from September 1, 2015 to July 14, 2020. The rating for the right lower extremity radiculopathy was changed to a higher rating of 30 percent effective July 15, 2020.

The Veteran's low back injury and associated radiculopathy are rated at 20% each, but the appeal for a higher rating is denied. The depressive disorder prior to March 31, 2016, is granted at 70%, while the appeal for a higher rating after that date remains denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for left ankle arthritis, sleep apnea, right and left knee disabilities, left hip arthritis, lumbar spine disabilities, and PTSD with TBI.,No effective date was assigned as all claims were remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and examination. The Veteran's claims include service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, heart condition, diabetes mellitus, skin condition, back condition, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure of the Veteran to report for VA examinations, and a new addendum opinion is needed regarding his employability.

The Veteran's appeal of his tinnitus claim is denied as he is already in receipt of the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his low back disorder, left and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral hearing loss must be remanded due to lack of a recent VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a separate rating for thoracic spine disability was denied as the original decision granting separate ratings was clearly and unmistakably erroneous.,The Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, which meet the percentage requirements.

Your claim for service connection for a low back disability, including lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and spinal fusion has been granted. You are now rated at 50% effective June 4, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for dizziness including Meniere's disease, a low to mid back disability, and a left elbow disability due to errors in the VA examinations and failure to obtain necessary medical opinions.