Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a back disability was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating of 30 percent for allergic rhinitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis with polyps warrants a 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder and right ear hearing loss are remanded due to the need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause him to require regular aid and attendance to keep him ordinarily clean and presentable, attend to the wants of nature, and protect him from the hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC A&A.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left knee and back disabilities as secondary to a service-connected right knee strain due to inadequate VA medical opinions addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding the relationship between his service-connected condition and his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, congestive heart failure, type II diabetes mellitus, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability have all been denied.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not establish a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is at least as likely as not related to an injury in service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals regarding the right knee, left knee, and back disabilities before a decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar degenerative arthritis is related to his active duty service and grants the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and sinusitis, but has remanded the issue of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal regarding whether a timely VA Form 9 was filed in response to the April 2020 SOC, finding that good cause exists due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The merits of the service connection claims for back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and hearing loss will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran does not meet the criteria to qualify for a specially adapted housing or home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities and does not have a permanent total disability rated as 100 percent disabling.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability rating was reduced from 40% to 20%, effective December 5, 2016. The reduction is not proper and the 40% rating is restored. Service connection for a lumbar spine scar is granted with an effective date of June 26, 2020.

The Board has determined that the VA did not obtain all relevant medical records and failed to provide an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's lumbar spine and right hip conditions. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hip and lumbar spine disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been presented, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for low back disability. The case is now remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine and Chloracne are pending, while his claim for Porphyria Cutanea Tarda is denied.,Porphyria Cutanea Tarda was not diagnosed within one year after presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied as the effective dates sought are not earlier than October 5, 2021.,For issues related to service connection, the earliest date of entitlement is considered to be October 5, 2021.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disability, including valvular heart disease, atrial fibrillation, right bundle branch block and aortic root aneurism, is granted as due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disability, low back disability, and left knee disability are also granted.