Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the denial of service connection for cervical spine injury and lumbar spine condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.,Both conditions were found to be directly related to injuries sustained during military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and a back disorder are granted. The appeal for asthma is dismissed as it was previously pending in the legacy system.

New evidence has been presented supporting the Veteran's claims for service connection of a psychiatric disorder, bilateral knee disorders, bilateral hip disorders, lumbar spine disorder.,The Board finds that new and relevant evidence has been submitted in support of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand all of the Veteran's claims, including those for higher ratings for his bladder condition, bilateral knee instability, and other conditions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded. Additional evidence will be considered, and new examinations may be required.

The Veteran's cervical spine, right knee, and left knee conditions are now considered service-connected as of August 22, 2019. The effective date for these benefits is set to this date.

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

The appeals for service connection for anxiety, low back disability, bilateral flatfoot, asthma, and sleep apnea have been dismissed due to untimely filing of the VA Form 10182 Notice of Disagreement.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral pes planus with bilateral degenerative joint disease of the 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint with metatarsalgia are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of her conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for lumbosacral strain and degenerative joint disease of the right leg were dismissed due to concurrent adjudication issues.

The Veteran's back condition, neck condition, and right hip condition are all granted as service connected.,Reasoning: The evidence is in equipoise regarding the onset of these conditions during active duty.

The Board has already reinstated a 20 percent rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease, anterior compression deformity L1 and degenerative joint disease from July 1, 2020 to April 14, 2022. The appeal is dismissed as there are no longer any unresolved issues.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection as it had its onset within one year of separation from service.,Service connection for low back strain is denied due to lack of a nexus between the current condition and in-service injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused significant limitations, but the Board found that they did not rise to the level of needing regular aid and attendance. The Veteran also does not meet the criteria for SMC based on having a total disability rating due to additional service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service injuries.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine his eligibility for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant based on his service-connected disabilities. The claims are also remanded to determine if his pansinusitis constitutes an inhalation injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.,The effective date for the 40 percent rating for BLE radiculopathy cannot be prior to October 7, 2022.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, left knee disability, and kidney failure have been granted. The Board found that the evidence is approximately balanced to show these conditions are etiologically related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, leading to a grant of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.