Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Veteran's left ear sensorineural hearing loss was granted, while the claims for right ear hearing loss, thoracolumbar spine condition, cervical strain, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as there was not enough evidence to support a higher rating or additional service-connected conditions.

The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and service connection, while granting one claim for a higher rating and another for secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for revision of a September 2005 rating decision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) for denying service connection for right knee medial meniscus tear, sinusitis, and lumbar pain.

The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, lumbosacral strain (claimed as low back pain), and bilateral pes planus. The claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis was remanded.

The Board granted a restored 20% rating for lumbar strain, an increased 40% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a 40% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal regarding service connection for IVDS was dismissed as moot.

The Board granted service connection for the left shoulder condition and lumbar spine condition, but denied a compensable rating for the right ring finger fracture residuals and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left elbow tendonitis, and right shoulder condition.

The appeal was denied because the Veteran did not timely file a Board Appeal request with respect to the rating decision issued on August 19, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal requests for increased rating and service connection were denied due to untimeliness, as no good cause was shown for the late filing of the Board Appeal request.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board remands the claim for a lower back condition to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and obtain additional evidence.

The Board denied an increased rating for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and granted a 20 percent initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, but did not grant an increased rating for somatic symptom disorder.

The Board remands the matter for further development to address functional loss due to pain and other factors without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including efforts to locate and reconstruct the Veteran's missing claims file.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for bilateral plantar hyperkeratosis from July 31, 2012, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for accrued benefits purposes.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 3, 2016, onward, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability, granted a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy beginning May 11, 2011, and denied a compensable rating for a lumbar spine scar associated with the service-connected low back disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings, earlier effective dates, and TDIU due to a lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension and persistent depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and neurocognitive disorder, but remanded other claims related to diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, headaches, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy, left ankle disorder, chronic fatigue, prostate cancer residuals, erectile dysfunction, and more.

The Board denied the claim for increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, both prior to and from December 2, 2019.