Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and right foot peroneal nerve damage is granted, effective June 19, 2018. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for his right foot peroneal nerve damage.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability and entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tear and tendonitis due to inadequate examinations.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left hip, and right hip disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical stenosis with myelopathy and myelomalacia is granted secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with IVDS. The rating for lumbosacral strain with IVDS remains at 20 percent, but a separate compensable rating is granted for neurological impairment of the right lower extremity. Ratings for left hip degenerative arthritis are also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for lumbosacral strain, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain due to unclear functional loss during examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether his current back, knee, and hip disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ankle sprain. The Veteran must provide new medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluation and TDIU have been dismissed due to his death prior to a final decision.

The appeal regarding the proposed reduction in rating for the Veteran's back disability from 20 to 10 percent is dismissed. The service connection claims for bilateral eye disorder, cystoscopy, and erectile dysfunction are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, neck condition, back condition, and tinnitus. The decision is based on the Veteran's lay statements of symptom onset during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for additional dependency benefits for her biological child, S.E., was granted effective from February 1, 2023. The Board denied the request for an earlier effective date due to lack of a prior intent to file or claim.

The Veteran's service-connected Social Anxiety Disorder resulted in significant occupational and social impairment, but not total impairment. The claim for a higher rating was denied.,The Veteran met the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to his failure to report to VA examinations in Ohio. The Board finds that he had good cause and the AOJ made a pre-decisional error by not scheduling him for an examination in Japan or via telehealth.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from October 3, 2014, due to his service-connected PTSD, lumbar spine, and right knee disabilities preventing him from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to the need to obtain Social Security Disability records and other pertinent information.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate examination and evaluation of the Veteran's left hip, as well as retrospective medical opinions regarding the range of motion during flare-ups and whether the treatment for tinea pedis amounts to systemic therapy.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain updated VA treatment records and any relevant private treatment records. The Veteran must provide authorization for these records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports. The Veteran is required to have his complete service medical and personnel records associated with his file, including those from his deployment in Cuba. A new VA mental disorders and spine examinations are needed to address the issues of PTSD, anxiety disorder, lumbar spine disability, knee disabilities, and ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to service or any incident therein. The gap between the injury and the onset of symptoms is too long to establish a link.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, bilateral shoulder, bilateral hip, left knee, and left ankle disabilities. The claims are remanded to consider a right ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, thoracolumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability due to a lack of hearing before the AOJ.