Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's back disability is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence to be received for the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease, right knee disability, and left knee disability. As a result, these claims are granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, so the Board dismissed it.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's failure to report for VA examinations. The issues of service connection are now pending and will be addressed by the AOJ.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as they were received within one year of his separation from active service, and the effective dates cannot be earlier than August 1, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA criteria.,The claims for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity are remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.,The claim for an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as mood swings and/or depression) is remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.,The claims for lower back disability and skin disability are remanded due to incomplete service records and potential inconsistencies in the Veteran's DD Form 214 and Service Personnel Records.

The Veteran's claim of CUE in the October 1981 rating decision is dismissed because that decision was subsumed by the September 1983 Board decision. The Veteran can file a CUE motion regarding the May 1984 denial of reopening his low back disability claim with the AOJ.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for effective dates prior to August 18, 2020, for service connection of a lumbar spine disability and prior to March 21, 2022, for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The effective date for service connection was granted on August 18, 2020.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Other claims are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is dismissed because he has a combined schedular rating of 100% and no single service-connected disability alone renders him unemployable, thus not warranting special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for scar, lumbosacral spine associated with lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis is denied. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bladder cancer during specific periods of time.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to inadequacies in the VA opinions provided. The AOJ is instructed to obtain addendum opinions from a medical professional.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a skin disorder, to include psoriasis, was dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing the issue. The appeals for service connection for left knee, right knee, and low back disorders are remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS is granted as service-connected, based on in-service onset.

The Veteran's lymphatic system disability (Castleman's disease) and skin disabilities have been remanded for further review due to new evidence received since the last denial.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination in assessing the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, specifically regarding the extent of any functional impairment during flare-ups.

Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a neck disability, and several other conditions. The remaining claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hip disability is granted.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities (BLEs) due to his service-connected back disability is granted.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's low back disorder is not considered to be related to his active service.,Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of hearing loss within one year post-service discharge.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability as secondary to the service-connected disabilities of the back, kidney, and neurogenic bladder.,New evidence was submitted supporting the Veteran's claims for these conditions.