Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted an effective date of August 1, 2013, for the award of service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent prior to March 4, 2025, and higher than 40 percent from March 4, 2025, for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional development of evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his back disability, both prior to and on or after October 25, 2024.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for a thoracolumbar spine disability and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) prior to November 1, 2012, for further development.

The Veteran withdrew the appeals for increased ratings of low back, left knee, and right ankle disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee disability and denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to June 7, 2024. The appeal was remanded for other issues.

The Board remands the claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine due to inadequate VA examination findings and outstanding treatment records.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, and heart disorder to cure pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee, right knee, hallux valgus, right shoulder, and lumbar spine issues, due to an AOJ error in satisfying a regulatory or statutory duty.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for a disability rating of 40 percent for bowel obstruction s/p resections with malabsorption syndrome from short gut prior to June 3, 2022. The claims for earlier effective dates for the evaluations of lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for headaches, sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain, and bilateral shin splints to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding their relationship to the Veteran's service, including any toxic exposure during service.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings, as the evidence does not support an earlier date of entitlement.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip tensor fascia lata syndrome, left knee suprapatellar tendinitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and sinusitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, finding that entitlement to such a rating did not arise until December 2022.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and cervical spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service experiences.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar disc displacement (status post laminectomy) with spinal stenosis, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted increased ratings for headaches, CAD, PTSD, and lumbar strain with arthritis, while denying increased ratings for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, headaches condition, cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, left shoulder condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, and bilateral foot condition based on the evidence of in-service noise exposure and reports of a continuity of symptomatology from service.

The appeal of the November 2018 rating decision as to service connection for low back disability was dismissed due to untimely filing.