Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and periarticular osteopenia due to a lack of proper notice regarding scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left foot disability and a back disability, finding that there is no current diagnosed disability or causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection for right and left knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected back disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are remanded due to inadequate examination findings. A new examination is necessary to determine the severity of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lumbar spine disability, chronic cervical spine disability, chronic right knee disability, and IBS (presumptively related to Southwest Asia service). The claims are based on the presumption of exposure in the Gulf War setting.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of June 1, 2017. Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is established effective as of June 1, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he can perform sedentary work with reasonable accommodations.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure.,All other claims, including those for back disability, left ear hearing loss, depression (secondary to service-connected disabilities), left hand and right hand disabilities, sleep apnea (undiagnosed illness and/or medically unexplained chronic multi symptom illness due to exposure to environmental hazards during the Persian Gulf War) and secondary to service-connected disabilities, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability, are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to April 17, 2018, for service connection of lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, LLE radiculopathy, and RLE radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lower back condition, hypertension, and vision loss condition are not supported by the evidence of record. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the withholding of VA compensation benefits to recoup Separation Pay in the amount of $31,101.34 was proper and this appeal must be denied as a matter of law.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support granting service connection under any raised theory of entitlement.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that it had its onset in service and is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective December 31, 2018. The Board found that the Veteran met the schedular requirements for TDIU as of June 26, 2013 and his entitlement arose on the date he filed the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, left knee, and left shoulder disabilities, as well as bilateral hip replacement. The Veteran's right upper extremity and lower extremity radiculopathies are also found to be related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his lumbar disability and right knee disability, as well as his lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The claims are inextricably intertwined with the claim for service connection for the underlying lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for a bilateral lung disability and a back disability, finding that new evidence supports reopening these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims that his current disabilities were related to service.,Service treatment records did not show any symptoms or diagnoses of these conditions during active duty. Post-service medical records indicated the disabilities began in 2017, more than 30 years after separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for dental, bilateral hearing loss, low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or that any are related to service.,There is no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes during the appeal period. The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish a current disability.,The Board finds no evidence of a current low back, right knee, or left knee disability in the record and concludes that these claims are denied as there is insufficient evidence to support their existence.,,