Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete compliance with previous instructions and requests for verification of in-service stressors.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder, heart disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The issues include seeking service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot because the award of a TDIU would not assist in attaining SMC at the housebound rate, which has already been granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inconsistencies in medical records and need for further examination. The Veteran's service connection claims for back disorder, left foot skin disorder, and right foot skin disorder are being reviewed.

The Veteran's CAD and hypertension are found to be related to his service-connected PTSD.,PTSD is not associated with the claimed conditions of tinnitus, migraine headaches, sleep disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, diverticulitis, bilateral eye disability, low back disability, or bilateral hearing loss.

A 30 percent rating for asthma is granted, separate from a rating for service-connected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The appeals seeking reopening of a prior final denial of service connection for memory loss; service connection for fatigue, bilateral hearing loss, and hernia; increased ratings greater than 10 percent each for right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome and residuals of right fifth metatarsal fracture; and an earlier effective date than May 23, 2018, for the grants of service connection for left and right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome, lumbosacral strain, hypertension, tension headaches, right and left shoulder strain with glenohumeral joint instability, and asthma are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The appeal to restore the 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain was granted, and the rating is restored effective February 1, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate opinions in prior VA examinations and a need for retrospective assessments of the Veteran's range of motion.

The Board has restored the service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder, effective September 1, 2017. The decision was based on direct service connection and not due to any presumption or new evidence.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted as incurred in service.,Other claims for service connection are either remanded or reopened.

The Board has granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, effective December 10, 2010.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various disabilities, including right and left ankle, acne, left wrist, left knee, right knee, and low back disabilities. The appeal is remanded for further evaluation of current disability ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed low back disability. The right ankle issue remains pending as well. Additionally, the TDIU claim requires additional information about the Veteran's employment history.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings greater than 20 percent for service-connected right and left lower extremity lumbar sensory radiculopathy, prior to January 20, 2021, have been denied.,Both the Board and the Court found that the evidence did not support a finding of moderately severe incomplete paralysis or any other level of disability warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lower back condition is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective April 6, 2015. The claim for higher ratings on other issues remains pending.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for various disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if VA followed proper procedures in scheduling his examinations, which could affect the assigned effective dates.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further evaluation due to the elapse of over eight years since his last VA examination and the need for additional medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or chronicity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of a brain disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and low back disability. The weight of the evidence does not show any current disabilities related to the in-service boat accident.