Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for left and right knee/leg braces in 2015 due to lack of service connection for these conditions.

The Board granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability effective January 31, 2011, but denied an increased rating for bilateral metatarsalgia.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine condition, cervical spine condition, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability to obtain additional medical opinions that adequately address the evidence of record.

The Board has restored a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, effective December 21, 2014. The appeal is also remanded to consider increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for a low back disability and associated radiculopathy of the LLE due to incomplete retrospective opinions from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, sciatic neuropathy, and shoulder and knee disabilities have been denied by the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate consideration of his lay statements regarding the onset and history of his symptoms, as well as failure to ensure substantial compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a left leg and hip disability, as well as a thoracolumbar spine disability due to additional development being needed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his neck, back, and nerve conditions along with social anxiety disorder, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted an initial rating of 60 percent for lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome, effective December 10, 2015.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the issues of service connection for a recurrent heart disability and rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC), due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities related to service or functional impairment.

The Board remands the case for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability, as there is evidence that it may be related to service and no examination has been conducted.

The Board granted service connection for back disabilities of thoracic spine strain, lumbosacral strain, and degenerative arthritis due to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied the claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence supporting a causal or aggravating relationship between the Veteran's Sjogren Syndrome and medications used to treat her service-connected disabilities, and that the lumbar spine disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, ED, hypertension, lumbar spine pain with DDD, and rhinitis as the evidence did not show a relationship to service.,No new or material evidence was presented to reopen any previously denied claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for chronic adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine were denied by the Board. The Veteran was not granted any increase in rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and back disability due to incomplete service treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to make efforts to obtain these records from various sources, including the Adjutant General, DMDC, MODS, Army Human Resources Command, and AMEDD Record Processing Center.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to duty to assist error.