Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran is granted an effective date of September 30, 2008 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).,The Veteran is also granted an effective date of September 30, 2008 for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 40 percent for multilevel osteoarthritis and lumbosacral spine DDD was granted, effective July 7, 2023.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities due to inadequate reasoning in a previous VA opinion. The case is now pending with instructions to provide a new examination or addendum opinion that addresses the January 2016 VA primary care provider's statement about aggravation, as well as lay statements from the Veteran's family members.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's problems with employment were attributed to behavioral incidents, such as being late or disagreements with management, rather than due to any service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right leg disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed in-service injuries. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's service in October 1999, including dates of training.

The Veteran is granted a 40 percent rating for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine prior to May 10, 2023.,A higher rating for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine from May 10, 2023, and left lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,The Veteran's LLE radiculopathy is granted a 20 percent rating from May 1, 2017 to August 16, 2022.,A higher rating for LLE radiculopathy from August 17, 2022, is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased evaluations have been withdrawn by her authorized representative.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's lumbar spine and hiatal hernia with GERD disability claims, as the current VA examinations are inadequate in assessing the severity of his conditions during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and non-VA treatment records. The Veteran's cause of death is being evaluated to determine if his service-connected conditions contributed to or caused his death.

The Board has granted service connection for back disability, allergies, sinusitis, headaches, sleep apnea, and COPD. The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is also found to be related to his now service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board denied service connection for a degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or chronic symptoms since service separation. The claim for entitlement to TDIU was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claim for a lumbar spine disability due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the condition, including an arachnoid cyst. The Veteran's service connection claim is being returned for further development.

Your claim for service connection for a back disability has been resolved as the RO granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain in May 2023, and your appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected IVDS and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are currently rated at 10 percent, but a higher rating is warranted for the entire rating period prior to January 16, 2020.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disorders due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives and outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, effective from August 30, 2003, to June 26, 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 40 percent rating, but his left lower extremity radiculopathy and back disability ratings remain remanded for further evaluation. The SMC claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear and impingement syndrome, lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears with degenerative arthritis.,The Board has also granted service connection for these conditions on a causation basis.