Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a back condition to obtain an appropriate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing back condition was aggravated by his service.

The Board remands the claims for a low back condition and left knee condition to obtain additional evidence, including private treatment records and new VA examinations.

The appeal for service connection for cervical spine arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, traumatic brain injury (TBI), seizure disorder, and erectile dysfunction has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for low back disability and lung cancer due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine bone spurs, right hip strain, and left hip strain to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for urinary bladder cancer under the PACT Act and remanded other claims for further development.

The veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision, and all claims were dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, including a back condition and shoulder, knee, and ankle conditions, as the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link to in-service events.

The Veteran was granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD from September 22, 2020, but no higher. The appeal for TDIU and service connection claims were denied or dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction, but granted an increased rating of 40 percent for a low back disability (intervertebral disc syndrome) and 20 percent for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to in-service noise exposure. The low back disability claim was remanded for further development.

The appeals for service connection and initial ratings were dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) being filed more than one year after the November 2022 rating decision.

The Board granted service connection for a back condition based on the Veteran's in-service motor vehicle accident and ongoing symptoms since exiting from service.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches and denied earlier effective dates for several conditions, including degenerative disc disease and arthritis with chronic low back pain and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, finding it as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus is a result of his service. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder and orthopedic conditions, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and there are no allegations of error for appellate consideration.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, GERD, and lumbosacral strain on a direct basis. A 30 percent initial rating was also granted for migraines including migraine variants.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.