Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed due to voluntary withdrawals.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus, but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is about the recoupment of his military severance pay and overpayment calculation. The AOJ needs to clarify how the $13,036.80 amount was calculated and whether any withholdings were made from his VA benefits toward this purpose prior February 2014.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD was denied because the evidence did not support a finding that his current condition is related to his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection for a low back condition, claimed as lumbar disc disease, was also denied. The Board found no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his in-service injuries.

The Board denied service connection for Other Specific Trauma Disorder and Stressor Related Disorder, but granted service connection for a low back disability, diagnosed as Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disc Disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and left knee disability due to missing records, including Workers' Compensation records and service treatment records. The Veteran will need to provide these records or have them obtained by VA.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and a higher rating for radiculopathy, RLE, as service connection for these conditions have been severed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence showing that his lumbosacral spine disability and bilateral knee disability were aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a lumbar spine disorder, and a right foot disorder were granted. The claim for tinnitus was remanded due to inadequate medical opinion. The cervical and thoracic spine disorders and the right shoulder pinched nerve are also in need of further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's back disability is related to his active service but not his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to her service-connected persistent depressive disorder. The lumbar spine condition, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and persistent depressive disorder are all granted increased ratings. Service connection for dysfunctional bleeding with LGSIL/HGSIL status post LEEP is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity or causation during service and insufficient medical opinion to establish a nexus.

The Veteran's left foot, left ankle, right ankle, and lumbar disabilities have been granted service connection.,A 30 percent rating has been granted for arthritis of the right foot.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or functional equivalent thereof to warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for migraines.,For cervical strain, the Veteran was denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent, and for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis, he was also denied such a rating.

The claim for service connection of a back condition is granted. The claims for service connection of right shoulder and bilateral knee conditions are denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of unspecified arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction. The issues of increases in the ratings assigned for adjustment disorder with depressed mood and a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain are being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder is granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine (claimed as low back pain), migraines, and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the relationship between these conditions and their respective service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his migraine headaches, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and lumbar spine condition. The appeals are currently pending.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for cervical degenerative arthritis, injury to coccyx (low back condition and chronic pain syndrome), and right leg condition was granted. The issues of service connection for the low back disability and right leg condition are remanded.