Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is not related to his active-duty service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating based on these conditions.

The claims for service connection of various conditions are being remanded due to the failure to provide proper notice and assistance prior to the April 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's TDIU is denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU prior to January 1, 2021. The effective date of the award of SMC based on statutory housebound criteria is granted.,The Veteran does not have any service-connected conditions that qualify under the PACT Act, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, or radiation exposure.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, vertigo, and skin disability due to new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for these conditions. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and a lumbar spine disability remains pending as remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with a previous remand directive, specifically regarding the need for an adequate statement of reasons or bases as it related to the claim on appeal.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion to determine if it has been aggravated by his service-connected thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment due to his back, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral knee conditions. The decision grants a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board dismissed the claim for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative joint/disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome due to a withdrawal by the Veteran. The claims for increased ratings for unspecified depressive disorder are remanded, as is the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability, low back disability, and hypertension are being remanded for further development as new evidence has been received.,Specifically, the RO needs to obtain VA examination records from September 2018 and private medical records from Dr. J.E.

The Board has denied an initial rating greater than 20 percent for right shoulder strain and has remanded the issues of service connection for knee disorders, OSA, diabetes, and a psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are pending further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right ear pain, lumbar spine disability and left shoulder disability, were found to be of such severity as to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic, atypical ear pain with tinnitus was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal request.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to lack of current diagnosis. The claims for a back condition and fibromyalgia were reopened based on new evidence, but service connection is not granted as there is no established link between the conditions and service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed and the claims are being remanded to the AOJ for further review of the evidence.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted evaluations ranging from 30 to 50 percent. The effective dates for these evaluations are August 31, 2009, for the cervical spine disability and August 18, 2021, for the upper extremity radiculopathies.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine prior to July 1, 2019 is denied. Effective August 9, 2023, separate compensable ratings are granted for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine after July 1, 2019 is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence obtained from the Department of Defense and deficiencies in previous medical opinions. The case is now pending further examination and reconsideration.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his service-connected right shoulder impingement syndrome and lumbosacral strain, as well as a TDIU, was denied. The case was remanded multiple times, and the Veteran was granted a TDIU in February 2016. Attorney fees were withheld from past-due benefits awarded to the Veteran due to his representation by S.R., who is now eligible for attorney fees based on the grant of past-due benefits.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied.,An effective date of January 4, 2016 was granted for the assignment of a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise or reverse the May 8, 2007 rating decision granting service connection for DDC of the thoracic spine and cervical spine due to lack of clear and unmistakable error.