Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's neck condition is remanded due to a lack of VA examination.,The Veteran's residuals of a head injury are remanded due to a lack of VA examination.,The Veteran's low back condition is remanded due to a lack of VA examination.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical opinions regarding his spine, hip, knee, and sleep apnea conditions.,An earlier effective date claim is also being remanded as the AOJ decision was unclear.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found the effective date of service connection for emphysema should be July 15, 2019, but did not assign a rating or effective date for other conditions.

The Veteran's combined 100 percent rating for her service-connected disabilities is restored, effective July 1, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, chlamydia, residuals of a head injury, right ankle disorder, and right knee disorder were denied. The claim for tinnitus was granted on the basis of in-service noise exposure. Service connection was also granted for a low back disorder (lumbosacral strain).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 13, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy as proximately due to service connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding various conditions, including hypertension and sleep apnea. The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all other issues is also dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with IVDS and lumbosacral strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been granted. The Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent for the lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for a back scar is denied. An initial rating of 40 percent, but no higher, for a lumbar spine disorder is granted. Prior to March 22, 2021, the Veteran was granted eligibility for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The appeal regarding service connection for kidney cancer is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide a VA examination and nexus opinion for the Veteran's low back condition, which may be related to service. The AOJ will obtain these necessary medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's condition had its onset in service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral eye disabilities, including glaucoma, and sinus bronchial syndrome have been granted. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis has also been granted with an initial 10% rating.,The Veteran's skin cancer of the right leg, PTSD, GERD, and bilateral hearing loss claims remain denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease with arthritis and stenosis is granted as service connected due to continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back condition and remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of March 30, 1984 for service connection for lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims were pending since the Veteran filed his initial claim within a year of separation from service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of service-connected left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, as well as thoracolumbar spine disability, have been dismissed due to untimely Notice of Disagreement filings. The appeal for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete VA examinations and a failure to reschedule them. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, sleep disturbances, bilateral hearing loss, headache condition, and lumbar fusion with limitation and pain.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee instability, persistent depressive disorder, and left shoulder strain. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.