Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for a thoracolumbar spine disability, headache disability, and right knee disability to include as due to a left knee disability for further development of the record.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, as well as lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy, due to a lack of evidence showing current disability or a link to in-service injury.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (l) level based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder, lumbar spondylosis, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's motion for a finding of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the January 2002 rating decision that denied service connection for a low back disability.

The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and remanded evaluations for right lower extremity, left lower extremity, lumbar spine, and right knee conditions.

The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of November 17, 2009, for the award of service connection for bilateral flat feet. The claim for an earlier effective date for lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine was denied.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, pulmonary disability (COPD and/or emphysema), and obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, diabetes as secondary to PTSD, and GERD as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran was also granted a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD effective December 3, 2020.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disability and neck disability to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a neck disability, to include cervical strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, and bilateral upper radiculopathy, based on the evidence showing that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's neck disability is related to his military service.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, a residual scar on the left ankle, and chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, as well as secondary conditions including sciatica and major depressive disorder. The decision also denied service connection for left and right hip arthritis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, low back pain, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and high blood pressure to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's low back disability and sciatic radiculopathies, granted service connection for insomnia as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, but denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding private treatment records and an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's request to revise or reverse a January 20, 2015, rating decision that denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the basis of clear and unmistakable error was denied. The Board also remanded entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board grants service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service car accident.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for left hip strain with limitation of flexion and thigh impairment as of October 21, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right and left lower extremity disabilities, nausea, hypertension, loss of smell, loss of taste, kidney disorder, prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer, post cranial nodes, boils on the shoulders, armpits, groin, and neck, gynecomastia, and an ear tumor. The claims were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a rating greater than 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability for an additional VA examination and readjudication.