Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, GERD, right ankle strain, left ankle strain, low back condition, and sinusitis due to unclear etiology and internal inconsistencies in previous examinations.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remands the case for further action.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied. The reduction of the rating for lumbar strain from 40% to 20% was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea, or earlier effective dates for service connection.,For his right hip disorder, a VA examination was needed to determine if it is related to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, which the Board finds may be service-connected through secondary service connection due to obesity resulting from his service-connected PTSD and back disability. However, VA failed to obtain a medical opinion addressing whether obesity is a substantial factor in causing heart failure.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, left knee strain, lumbar spine disability, and right shoulder strain on a direct basis.,Service connection was granted for left knee strain, lumbar spine disability, and right shoulder strain on a direct basis.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected, while his right ankle and knee disabilities are denied. The low back disability claim has no current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for low back strain is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board denied service connection for back disability, right ear hearing loss (only left ear is considered), and left ear hearing loss. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to lack of evidence linking them to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, but has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome due to insufficient evidence in the March 2020 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is related to events in service and grants service connection for a back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a low back condition is dismissed due to untimeliness.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and red itchy eyes is denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a spine disability, left ankle disability, left shoulder condition, and left wrist disability, require additional development due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. Specifically, additional medical opinions are needed regarding the severity of his back disability without medication effects, the nature and etiology of his headaches, and the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for hearing loss, and the initial compensable ratings for left foot and right foot surgical scars were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions was denied due to the late filing of the Board Appeal request, which occurred more than one year after the August 19, 2019 rating decision.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hip disabilities and radiculopathies, have been granted with effective dates of November 12, 2020.,Claims for earlier effective dates were denied for prostate cancer, reduction of the penis with erectile dysfunction (as secondary to prostate cancer), asthma, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knees, hypertension, stable angina, and CFS.

The appeal concerning the issues of cervical spondylosis, high blood pressure, thoracolumbar spine disability (low back pain), unspecified right leg condition, anxiety (depression/insomnia), hypothyroidism, residuals of heat stroke, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder condition is dismissed.