Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims for left knee painful extension, low back disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is also seeking earlier effective dates for service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with levoscoliosis is rated at 40 percent effective April 4, 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional error in VA's duty to assist, and requests a new medical opinion on the etiology of the low back disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, back disability, and right shoulder disability. The claims are based on presumptive exposure to fine particulate matter in Iraq.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims for lumbar spine, neck, left hip, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his back and knee disabilities, as the most recent VA examinations did not adequately assess the severity of these conditions due to a lack of consideration of flare-ups. The case is therefore being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, and lower back condition are all found to be related to his military service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his back condition, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and insufficient medical nexus opinions. The Veteran's lower back disability is being reviewed again for proper service connection.

The appellant withdrew his appeal for service connection for lumbosacral strain before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities has not been established, as he can use assistive devices to dress himself and maintain cleanliness of appearance.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal for readjudicating his service connection claim for a thoracolumbar spine disorder due to new and relevant evidence. The AOJ is required to remand the case for further action on both the thoracolumbar spine disorder and hypertension claims.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective July 7, 2011 for the service-connected left lower extremity radiculopathy. The Board found that the Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due solely to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error related to the lack of consideration of SSA records and an inadequate initial rating determination.

The Board has granted effective dates of December 5, 2019, for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), tinnitus, and a lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, migraine headaches, lumbosacral strain, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral knees, and LEFT ankle strain prevent her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed all issues related to increased ratings for various conditions as the Veteran's representative withdrew the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has restored a 20% rating for the Veteran's low back condition, effective September 24, 2024. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran's lower back condition preexisted service and if so, whether it was aggravated by military service. The claim will be returned for new medical opinions.