Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with lumbosacral strain. The issues are related to the severity of these conditions and their impact on the Veteran's functional ability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes, lower back condition, and neck condition due to a lack of VA examination and consideration of service connection on a presumptive basis.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbar sprain with degenerative arthritis of the spine is denied. The appeal for TDIU was dismissed as moot due to a higher rating being granted.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service. The claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to December 8, 2011, finding that there was no evidence showing he became unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities within one year prior to his claim.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20% and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 10% and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incomplete medical records, inadequate examination reports, and conflicting employment history.

The Veteran's initial ratings for spondylolisthesis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied.,The Board found that during the entire initial rating period on appeal, from April 9, 2013, to January 4, 2015, the service-connected conditions did not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for higher disability ratings.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection in multiple conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right eye macular degeneration, right knee disorder, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The earliest effective date assigned was January 14, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The examiner needs to provide a more informed opinion on whether the current disability had its onset in service or is otherwise related to his active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for thoracolumbar spine disability, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to potential inadequacies in the previous VA examination report. The issues are intertwined with the back issue and require further medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA medical examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his active service, including documented injuries in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, right leg, and left leg disabilities due to incomplete service records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to lack of opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to parachute jumps in service.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on his back and right leg disabilities have been dismissed as he has withdrawn all remaining claims.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he did not cooperate with the VA examinations and failed to provide medical records, resulting in a lack of sufficient evidence to decide his claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of lumbar spine, cervical spine, and psychiatric disabilities as secondary to his service-connected right shoulder injury.

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher initial rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a low back disability due to potential issues with the presumption of soundness, as well as incomplete VA treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions on these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder and convulsive disorder due to incomplete development of records. The RO is directed to attempt to obtain any outstanding private medical records, SSA disability records, and provide the Veteran with VA examinations.