Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hip and back disorders, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that these conditions are related to his military service. The rating assigned will be determined after further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for service-connected lumbar spine disability and for entitlement to a TDIU are being deferred until further notice.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to specially adapted housing, special home adaptation grant, and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the severity and manifestations of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to November 21, 2012. Effective November 21, 2012, the evidence shows that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to an error in docketing his appeal under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The Veteran must now file a Statement of the Case and submit a VA Form 9 if he wishes to continue with his appeals.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for menstrual disorders.,Most of the Veteran's claims are remanded due to incomplete information about her periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDURA).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment from July 25, 2011 to October 3, 2018. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether he was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as secondary to her service-connected right knee disability. A rating in excess of 10 percent for the right knee instability and a TDIU prior to April 30, 2020 are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to insufficient development of his medical records and examination reports.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral knees and back are being remanded due to the need to obtain Reserve service records, which may assist in substantiating these claims. The AOJ also granted additional service connection for left knee limitation of extension, right knee limitation of extension, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any of the claimed conditions, including bilateral eye disability, vertigo, depression, anxiety, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.,The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's in-service complaints or symptoms and his current disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for her migraine headaches, cervical spine condition, right shoulder arthroscopic bursectomy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluation of lumbosacral strain and service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess the severity of his lumbar spine disability, including any additional functional loss during flare-ups, and to determine if his radiculopathy is related to his lumbosacral strain or another service-connected condition.

The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative joint disease and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that additional evidence was added to the claims file and requires a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) before deciding the remaining issues on appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability and other musculoskeletal conditions.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for the left knee disability with painful limitation of flexion is denied. The current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's cervical spine strain with degenerative disc disease was improperly reduced from 20% to 10%, and the 20% rating is restored. The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left hip disorders, and bilateral hearing loss were remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability and left leg radiculopathy, as well as the TDIU claim, due to inadequate examination reports regarding causation and aggravation of these conditions by service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claims are now pending with the RO for further review.

The Board has found that the RO did not substantially comply with a previous remand directive and has therefore remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for a lumbar spine disability.