Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain (back disability) and right lower extremity radiculopathy, secondary to a service-connected back disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay statements regarding his in-service injury and subsequent pain.

Your appeals for increased ratings for PTSD and spondylosis with myelopathy, lumbar have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for revision of the April 1981 rating decision due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE) regarding service connection for back disability with left leg numbness. The AOJ is required to obtain complete service records, determine eligible periods of service, and reconsider the effective date based on additional pertinent service records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left knee disability, limitation of flexion and instability have been dismissed due to withdrawal.,Service connection has been granted for right hip and right knee disabilities as secondary to service-connected left hip and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding service connection for a low back disability, including as related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran contends his current condition is related to active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, left knee strain, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 2018.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for various conditions including thoracolumbar spine disorder, anxiety, depression, headaches, tinnitus, and an eye disorder due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine due to a failure to obtain VA treatment records that were scanned into VistA Imaging.

The appeal for service connection of a low back disability is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of a back disability due to the appellant's withdrawal before a decision was made.

The appeal for service connection of various disabilities, including a left ankle disability and low back disability, is dismissed as moot due to the full grant of these claims in March 2021. The remaining issues were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to the untimely filing of VA Forms 10182, despite the Veteran claiming a pandemic-related excuse. The Board found no good cause for the delay and thus dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and tinnitus have been granted service connection.,The Veteran's bilateral foot disability and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remands the case for a retrospective medical opinion to determine the severity of the Veteran's spine disability beginning October 9, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal seeking earlier effective dates for ratings of left and right femoral radiculopathy is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal seeking earlier effective dates for ratings of lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic), and right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic) is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal seeking earlier effective dates for ratings of cervical spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS and right upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal seeking earlier effective dates for ratings of left upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to various pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding the onset and relationship of his claimed conditions to service.

The Veteran's neck disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded his claim for a higher rating. His left wrist condition remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and left lower extremity radiculopathy are denied. The current evaluations of 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively, are found to be appropriate based on the evidence.