Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right knee disability, right shoulder/arm disability, neck disability, and headache disability. The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran and his representative.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bladder cancer and insomnia, have been granted. The claim for a right shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for low back disability due to new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for hypertension. The low back disability claim is denied.

The Board has granted TDIU effective August 27, 2020. However, the Veteran also met the schedular requirements for TDIU on September 17, 2014 to May 13, 2015. The matter is REMANDED for further development and adjudication.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical examination and review of evidence, including the Veteran's in-service injury and treatment.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gout was granted. The issue of entitlement to service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, left leg condition, right leg condition, and headaches is dismissed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that it is related to his military service and not due to his service-connected right deltoid ligament sprain.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and a traumatic brain injury should be remanded due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, back condition, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20% prior to October 13, 2011 and at 40% beginning October 13, 2011. The appeal for a higher initial rating before that date is denied, but the claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for back and neck disabilities, as well as right and left leg conditions secondary to the Veteran's back disability. The Board found that there was no credible evidence linking these disabilities to his military service.,Service connection cannot be granted because the Veteran did not report any leg or back issues during his separation evaluation from the military.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar radiculopathy, as there are outstanding records from the Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms and Eisenhower Health that need to be obtained.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of various disabilities have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current low back pain, but the VA examiner found that there was not enough evidence to support a finding of in-service causation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted, including sleep apnea, heart disorder, hypertension, left hip disability, low back disability, and tinnitus. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise regarding these claims.,However, several new issues of entitlement to service connection have been identified, such as chest pain, dyspnea, right foot stress fracture, right hip disability, osteoporosis, right shoulder disability, tremors, asthma, blepharitis, lipoma of the chest, and kidney stones. These claims are currently pending for further review.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is established for cervical spine multilevel degenerative disc disease, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear bursitis, glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, and right elbow lateral epicondylitis with degenerative joint disease and bursitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee and spine disorders, as well as her claim for a gastrointestinal disorder due to outstanding VA examination and records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple joints and back disorders are being remanded due to additional relevant evidence added to the record since the December 2021 supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's current neck and upper back disabilities are related to his in-service symptoms, which have persisted since service. Service connection is granted.