Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating and TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations and need for further development of his work history.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that it is related to his in-service back injuries during his first period of active duty service.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is not entitled to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to January 30, 2019 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.,The Veteran's OSA is not entitled to a rating in excess of 50 percent.,The Veteran's headaches are not entitled to an initial compensable rating prior to November 30, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities, particularly whether they are related to his military service or environmental exposures during his service in the Persian Gulf.

The Board has restored a 40 percent rating for the service-connected back disability from May 1, 2018 to November 27, 2019. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating higher than 40 percent for the entire period from November 17, 2016 is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of loss of balance, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine radiculopathy, and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for herniated nucleus pulposus (HPN) of the cervical spine.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his military service and that arthritis of the lumbar spine was not shown within one year of separation from service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render her unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to May 21, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he died during their pendency.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a heart condition is granted. The claims of service connection for stomach, back, and bilateral shoulder conditions are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain, and neck disability manifested by pain. The claim of service connection for dizziness is remanded.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain, and neck disability manifested by pain based on direct evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disorder and left knee disorder, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings are remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and headaches. The claim for TDIU was also denied. The case is remanded for further action on the tinnitus claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorder did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not service-connected, as it is considered to be a result of natural degenerative changes and overuse rather than any service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability evaluation in excess of 40 percent for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with lumbar spondylosis, finding that the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of frostbite, bilateral hands; bilateral hearing loss; and a back disability due to inconsistencies in audiometric results and insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for SMC based on need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. The decision denied entitlement to a compensable rating prior to October 29, 2020 and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected TBI beginning October 29, 2020.