Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to address whether his claimed disabilities are related to service, particularly given his in-service exposures and symptoms.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for low back pain, finding that it is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee disorder, left knee disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the April 2020 decision.,Service connection is granted for sinusitis. The Veteran's back disorder and left hip disorder are not found to be related to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 70 percent rating effective June 13, 2014.,The Veteran is also granted TDIU based on her service-connected disabilities since June 13, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right foot amputation and peripheral neuropathy, have resulted in loss of use of his right foot. The Board has determined that he is eligible for financial assistance to purchase an automobile and adaptive equipment due to this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and back disabilities due to new evidence submitted. However, the claims are still remanded as further medical examination is needed to determine if these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left kidney disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and right knee disability have been dismissed.,New and material evidence has been presented to reopen claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, erectile dysfunction, and psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective October 6, 2021, but no earlier.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as his lumbar disability. The cases are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has decided to remand all the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service treatment records and requests for new examinations or medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete development of records. The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is granted, but her other musculoskeletal disabilities are not related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his lumbar spine disability and urinary disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD to include somatic symptom disorder and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine were denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher rating than 70 percent for PTSD and 40 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran is service-connected for PTSD and degenerative disc disease, but the current record does not contain sufficient information to adjudicate his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for his low back disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, considering the effects of painful motion and limitations.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability and left Achilles tendon disorder, finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for anxiety and depressive disorder, as well as lumbar spine DJD prior to June 26, 2019, was denied. The Board found that the symptoms did not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent for anxiety and depressive disorder or a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine DJD prior to June 26, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for fibromyalgia and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome due to insufficient evidence in the record.,An effective date prior to September 30, 2017, is denied as there was no valid claim received by VA prior to that date.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluations and evidence.