Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for tinnitus and a lumbar spine disability due to untimely filing of the VA Form 10182.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including OSA, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, and others, but dismissed appeals for obesity, TMJ, insomnia, left elbow, and right elbow. The Board also denied an earlier effective date for a 70% rating for acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for PTSD and granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, while denying service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and nuclear sclerosis and dry eye syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the current disability and an in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis due to a clear and unmistakable error in a July 1981 rating decision.

The Board granted the application to readjudicate the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to new and relevant evidence being presented.

The Board denied service connection for lower back strain, left knee strain or sprain, tinnitus, and generalized anxiety disorder as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension but denied service connection for cervical spine, right shoulder, low back, left hip, gastrointestinal, bronchitis, sinusitis disabilities and denied an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for headaches and thyroid disability.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, lumbar strain, and left knee strain. The initial rating period from March 5, 2024, was denied for allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, right shoulder disability, and tension headaches due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a mood disorder and alcohol abuse disorder, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, a cervical spine disability, and right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for sinusitis. The left ear hearing loss claim was remanded.

The Board granted effective dates of October 30, 2024, for the awards of service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, knee and back issues, neck strain, shin splints, shoulder strain, sinusitis, rhinitis, GERD, penile condition, and bilateral flatfoot.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for thoracolumbar spine herniated disc and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate VA examinations that did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar pain, hypoesthesia and paresthesia of the right lower extremity, left sciatic radicular pain, hypoesthesia, and paresthesia of the left lower extremity, and OSA as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The Veteran was also granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease and 30 percent for degenerative cervical spondylosis, effective March 6, 2016. The claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and a neck disability, finding that the Veteran's current degenerative arthritis in these areas began during his service and has persisted ever since.

The Board denied attorney fees of more than 10 percent of the past-due benefits awarded in an April 2019 Board decision and effectuated in a May 2019 rating decision.