Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of January 9, 2023 for a 70% evaluation for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and for individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disorder, finding no credible evidence that he experienced any injury or symptoms related to his low back during service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act. The claims for headaches, lumbar back disability, sciatic radiculopathy, and TDIU are remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because it was not timely filed, and no good cause for delay was provided.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative joint disease and right knee condition with arthritis as secondary to his service-connected left leg condition.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, low back disability, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed due to the untimely filing of their Notice of Disagreement (NOD).

The Board has found a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in the VA examination for service connection of the back condition and requires an addendum opinion to address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's back disability began in service or was caused by any incident of service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis and disc bulge, right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), and right lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral nerve) have been denied.,The Veteran's back disability is rated at 10 percent due to limitations in range of motion. The claim for an increased rating was denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to concurrent elections of review options.

The Veteran's IBS has been granted a 30 percent initial disability rating. Service connection was denied for other claimed conditions.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 20 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. A TDIU was granted as of October 16, 2020.

The appeal for service connection of a back condition, claimed as lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis, is dismissed due to procedural error. The appeals for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder and right hip condition are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and degenerative disc disease (DDD).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate examination and duty to assist error. The Veteran's back disability is being examined again to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected lower extremity disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, Parkinson's disease, and increased ratings for his knee and lumbar spine conditions due to the lack of adequate VA examinations and missing VA medical records.

The Veteran's service connection for hypertension, lumbar spine condition, and PTSD are granted. The hypertension is granted as directly related to military service based on toxic exposure risk activity in Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. The lumbar spine condition is granted due to the Veteran's combat service. The PTSD is granted with a 70 percent rating.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The appeal has been denied as there are no findings warranting a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disorder as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and depressive disorder. The claims for discoid lupus, malabsorption disorder, Sjogren's syndrome, and low back disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knees and back conditions, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective April 26, 2019.