Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right tibia stress fracture. A new VA examination is needed to clarify these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are being remanded due to procedural errors and the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to decide whether her left knee condition was aggravated by service and whether her right knee and lower back conditions are related to her service-connected left hip condition. The claim for fibromyalgia will also be remanded as it requires a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of non-VA medical treatment on November 23, 2014 is granted as the emergency room visit was considered a medical emergency and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for Restless Leg Syndrome, a back disability, and erectile dysfunction. The appeal is dismissed because the Veteran did not timely appeal the previous rating decisions denying these claims within one year of receiving notice.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back condition and sciatica as secondary to his low back condition. The evidence is in approximate balance that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the claims for spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, lower back pain and herniated disc, thoracolumbar spine ('back disability'), but not for sciatic left side as secondary to back disability or right hip with hip replacement. The claim for 'back disability' is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee, hip, and low back degenerative arthritis as well as right and left lower extremity neuropathy that are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected pes planus with DJD.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition, right knee strain, left knee strain, and left hip condition based on the Veteran's competent and credible reports of in-service symptoms and continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral foot disability, tinnitus, and chronic lumbar spine pain as they were not properly docketed in the modernized appeal system.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, right hip, and left hip disorders due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board is remanding the cases for further action due to outstanding SSA records and a duty to assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee and low back disabilities, but has remanded his fibromyalgia claim due to toxic exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hip condition, right ankle strain, lumbosacral strain, muscle injury of the left thigh and calf, and sciatica. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service or service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no current diagnosis or medical evidence linking her claimed conditions to her military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his low back condition and related radiculopathies, left shoulder strain, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined impact of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis, lumbarization, and asymmetrical facets has been denied because the new evidence submitted does not provide a basis to reconsider the initial denial of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower back condition is etiologically related to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for direct payment of attorney fees from benefits resulting from the September 2019 grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The TDIU was granted in response to an initial claim for TDIU filed by the Veteran, and not as part of an appeal or reconsideration of prior decisions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, as well as sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, were denied. The effective dates for service connection awards for sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are granted.