Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability rating was reduced from 40% to 20%, effective December 5, 2016. The reduction is not proper and the 40% rating is restored. Service connection for a lumbar spine scar is granted with an effective date of June 26, 2020.

The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all relevant medical records and failed to provide an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's lumbar spine and right hip conditions. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been presented, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for low back disability. The case is now remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine and Chloracne are pending, while his claim for Porphyria Cutanea Tarda is denied.,Porphyria Cutanea Tarda was not diagnosed within one year after presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied as the effective dates sought are not earlier than October 5, 2021.,For issues related to service connection, the earliest date of entitlement is considered to be October 5, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disability, including valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, right bundle branch block and aortic root aneurism, is granted as due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disability, low back disability, and left knee disability are also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that there is not enough evidence to decide these issues at this time.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an initial compensable rating for right testicular torsion, but granted a separate 10 percent rating for scars associated with his orchiopexy. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the combined disability rating percentage requirements for consideration of a TDIU prior to August 14, 2020. The case is remanded for further evaluation and referral to the VA Director of Compensation Service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, depression, Parkinson's with dementia, lower back disability, right knee and left knee disabilities, right hip and left hip disabilities, and right foot and left foot disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link to active service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximated a 40 percent evaluation based on limited range of motion.

The Board has remanded the case due to new service department records received after the initial decision. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability will be reconsidered in light of these additional records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disorder, right hip disorder, back disorder, and shrapnel fragment lodged in the left side of the head are remanded due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for herniated disc of the lumbar spine, acute sinusitis with sinus headaches, and pingueculas of the bilateral eyes are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hand, left hand, right hip pain, left hip pain, right foot pes planus, and low back condition due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain and left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) was denied.,Both conditions were granted based on a September 2020 VA examination, which indicated that the condition was a complication of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain.

The Board has determined that there are errors in the decision and remands the case for a new VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for his thoracolumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back pain, TDIU prior to March 6, 2020, and DEA benefits due to procedural errors in obtaining relevant evidence.