Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral spine degenerative disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's low back disability is found to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's right hip and lumbar spine conditions were aggravated by his service-connected loss of use of both lower extremities, residuals of abdominal aneurysm repair surgery.

The Board has denied service connection for right hand, right hip, left hand, left hip, and left foot disabilities. The claims for right knee, left knee, and back disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left knee disability, and right knee disability due to the Veteran's bilateral ankle disabilities. The decision is based on evidence showing that these conditions are related to his service-connected ankle disabilities.

The petition to reopen the claims for service connection for Meniere's disease, migraine headaches, bilateral wrist disorder, low back disorder, right ear hearing loss, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder is granted.,Service connection is established for Meniere's disease and secondary service connection for migraine headaches are also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disorders is granted. The cases are REMANDED due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board found that the withholding of VA disability compensation for recouping $45,876 in severance pay was proper due to a finding by the service department that the Veteran's disabilities were not incurred in combat-related operations. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a lumbar spine disability was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or IVDS criteria.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and right lower extremity neuropathy as secondary to service-connected disability, and denied TDIU. The Veteran's current disabilities were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected back disability was denied as the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine, which is required for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected low back disability has been denied. His claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, right knee, and low back disabilities are being reviewed.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is now rated at 40 percent, effective from November 5, 2009. The right hip disabilities remain rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine is denied.,Additional issues related to service connection and increased ratings are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic seizure disorder and headaches was withdrawn. The claims for residuals of a head injury and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the spine were granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, low back disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability due to outstanding private treatment records and the need for medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine with lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome is rated at 40 percent effective June 20, 2017.

The Veteran's low back disability is found to be related to service, and he meets the criteria for TDIU from May 26, 2016 onwards.