Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, neck disability, and headaches as further development is needed.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an earlier effective date for service connection and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance due to a lack of documentation regarding efforts made to contact the RO in Los Angeles, California, for records that might corroborate the Veteran's claim.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a lumbar spine disability and entitlement to TDIU, due to concerns with prior VA examinations and outstanding records.

The Board remands the claims for further development as there has not been substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, but remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and related conditions, as well as obstructive sleep apnea and the Veteran's cause of death.

The Board granted service connection for right foot pes planus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right foot calcaneal spur and granted increased ratings for PTSD, right foot calcaneal spur, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (including intervertebral disc syndrome, stenosis), left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar disk disease with mild lumbar spondylosis, cervical disc disease with spondylosis, and an acquired psychiatric disability to include major depressive disorder as the evidence did not support a finding of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the issues for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and scheduling examinations to determine the current severity of the disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began in service or are otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorder is granted a 70 percent rating effective May 3, 1994.

The Board remands the veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to outstanding SSA disability benefit records.

The Board granted an effective date of April 7, 2008, for the award of service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, low back disability, and left lower extremity disability to ensure that VA's duty to assist is properly fulfilled.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for service connection for left ankle joint pain, right ankle joint pain, increased rating for bilateral pes planus, heart disability, and earlier effective date were remanded.

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

The Board remands the claims for an initial increased rating in excess of 10 percent for left lower radiculopathy and an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine condition to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder for further development, including obtaining an adequate medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for left hip strain with limitation of extension and remanded several other service connection claims.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's low back disability and lower extremity radiculopathies, as well as earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA awards.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for service connection for back pain, kidney disability, and left shoulder and arm nerve disability due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.