Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased rating and TDIU related to low back disability. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and radicular disability of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that his current conditions are not related to his in-service injury. The VA examiner concluded that any current diagnoses were not incurred or caused by service.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, including lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. The Board found that the Veteran's current back disability is related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back and cervical spine/upper back disabilities due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending for further evaluation.

The Veteran's low back condition is granted a 40% rating from September 3, 2008 to August 21, 2019. Ratings in excess of this are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the Veteran's lay testimony regarding the onset of his symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, cervical spine disability, and heart disability (to include CAD) due to lack of evidence showing chronicity during or after service.,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's disabilities are considered to be related to natural aging processes rather than service.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for left ear hearing loss, lung disorder, hemorrhoids, right ear hearing loss, bowel disorder, testicle disorder, sinus disorder, back disorder, skin disorder of the feet and body, eye disorder, teeth disorder, and brain lesions were denied as there was no evidence to support these conditions or their service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and low back disability due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset of these conditions during or related to his military service. The VA must notify the Veteran about unsuccessful attempts to obtain a copy of his separation examination report, and seek an addendum opinion on the etiology of his low back condition and scoliosis, as well as his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for depression, secondary to a back disability (spondylolysis), has been dismissed. Service connection is granted for the Veteran's back disability, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, and neck disability.

The Veteran's left and right shoulder disabilities are currently rated at 20 percent each, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has found procedural defects in the appeal and remands the case for several issues, including service connection for colon cancer, heart disease, and reopening of a lumbosacral strain claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of September 13, 2012. The Board has remanded the issue for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular TDIU consideration from January 9, 2012, to September 13, 2012.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's back disability is secondary to his service-connected right foot disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to June 22, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between his military service and these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for asbestosis, low back disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, and lung nodules are all denied. The Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining records from the Veteran's participation in the VA Choice program at Craft Chiropractic Center.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 40 percent for the appeal period from March 14, 2008 to March 31, 2022. The claim for a higher rating was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for his low back and neck disabilities, as well as a claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to assess the severity of his lumbar spine strain with IVDS and cervical spondylosis with IVDS, and VA must consider the Veteran's employment history in determining whether he is unemployable.