Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to obtain an additional medical opinion and ensure all procedural requirements are met.

The Board denied service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability, tinnitus, and a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae. The effective date for the left knee strain was also denied.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings as a matter of law, having already adjudicated these issues in a previous decision.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's tension/migraine headaches due to their severity and impact on daily life, while remanding claims for back disability and sinusitis for further development.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a back disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection and an initial disability rating in excess of 40 percent for a low back disability, but remanded the issue of entitlement to a separate rating for lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the low back disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded several other claims, including those for lung nodules with COPD, coronary artery disease, back scars, low back disability, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection and denied a higher rating, while remanding the issue of an increased rating for lumbar spine arthritis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with cervical strain due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right and left hip osteoarthritis, chronic diarrhea with GERD, and service connection for fibromyalgia. However, a 20 percent rating was granted for the right ankle deltoid ligament sprain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for a low back disability, as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the criteria provided.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of various conditions due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension and remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, asbestosis, chronic kidney disease, and a back disability. The claim for migraines was remanded for further development.

The appeal was dismissed for failure to timely file a Notice of Disagreement within one year after the respective rating decisions were issued.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded claims for a foot condition, left hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and back condition.

The Board dismissed the issues of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral keratoconus and an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for a mid-back disability due to an impermissible concurrent election.

The appeal for service connection for a lower back condition was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the filing of the appeal.

The Board dismissed the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection for a sleep disability due to lack of legal entitlement.