Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted an increased rating to 40 percent, and service connection is granted for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. Service connection is also granted for right and left shoulder disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.,The issue of entitlement to service connection for insomnia was granted as 'PTSD, claimed as insomnia,' in an August 2019 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a back disability and erectile dysfunction due to service connection issues. The back claim is related to in-service injuries, while the erectile dysfunction claim requires a TERA examination as it may be linked to toxic exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The issues of TDIU, severance of service connection for residuals of a TBI and headache disorder, reduction of rating for acquired psychiatric disorder, and remand for additional determinations on various conditions have been addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremity (sciatic nerve) alone supports a TDIU, and his combined rating exceeds 60 percent without this condition. Therefore, SMC based on a single service-connected disability rated as total is granted.

The Veteran's low back pain and dysfunction, neck pain and dysfunction, right hip pain and dysfunction, and left hip pain and dysfunction are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's psychiatric disorder (posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, other specified trauma/stressor related disorder) is also granted as service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, and sleep apnea due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's disability rating for service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was restored to 40% effective January 1, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition as these conditions are considered to have originated during his active-duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent her from securing and following any substantially gainful occupation, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination and treatment records, which may provide additional information relevant to the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for a low back disability is remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for further evaluation.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant higher ratings based on his subjective complaints.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing or presumed destroyed service treatment records and inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran's in-service incident is also being investigated.

The Board has found that there may be outstanding VA treatment records from the Veteran's service period and remanded for their retrieval to make a fully-informed decision on his claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's other specified trauma or stressor-related disorder is related to an in-service personal assault, and service connection for this condition is granted. The back disability remains under review as it may be secondary to the service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran was granted service connection for various hip and shoulder conditions, as well as radiculopathy associated with lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, all effective December 1, 2014.,No earlier effective dates were granted due to the lack of supporting evidence in the claims file at the time of the initial rating decision.

The Board has remanded several claims for increased ratings due to deficiencies in the VA examinations conducted in November 2018. The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are being examined again to determine their current severity.