Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 10 percent, and an increased rating higher than 10 percent is not warranted.,An increased rating of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder from April 14, 2019, is granted. The Veteran also received a 100 percent rating effective October 21, 2019.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted and effective since April 14, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, back, and bilateral knee disorders due to insufficient evidence indicating a relationship between these conditions and service. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection due to lack of evidence showing disability manifestations prior to April 14, 2021.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for lumbosacral strain, left hand strain, and right hand strain due to a lack of clear and unmistakable evidence that these conditions existed prior to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, specifically degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and radiculopathy right lower extremity, are alleged to have caused or aggravated his sleep apnea. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not addressing this theory of entitlement and requires a new VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the claims due to a failure to provide a new VA examination and medical opinion in light of the Veteran's complaints of functional impairment, as per Saunders v. Wilkie (2018).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are not attributable to active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been readjudicated and are pending. The Board has determined that new evidence supports the need to reassess these claims, but it is not clear whether all issues will be granted or denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues related to PTSD, lumbar spine disorder, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for myofascial pain syndrome and a low back disability, finding that new evidence received since the previous denial supports this determination.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings of left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, as well as a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis prior to December 12, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also REMANDED.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, chronic left hip pain, and chronic right hip pain. The Veteran's conditions are deemed to have been present during her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gastroenteritis claim must be remanded due to a lack of evidence showing current disability. The remaining issues on appeal are also remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 70 percent, effective from December 23, 2021. The Board also granted entitlement to a TDIU based on the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The appeal seeking service connection for a back condition and an initial rating of 10 percent for right knee instability was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease with lumbar disc herniation was denied, and her claim for an initial rating of 30 percent for GERD from August 6, 2015, was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine due to a lack of adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to obtain necessary evidence. The Veteran's service connection claim for low back disability is pending.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a groin condition, left hip condition, left foot condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, and back condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee osteoarthritis and low back pain with spinal stenosis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The effective date for the TDIU is April 5, 2021.