Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability was denied, and the effective date for TDIU was established on May 22, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and left ankle disabilities due to incomplete information in the medical records, including a lack of his military personnel file. The claim will be reconsidered with new examinations.

The Veteran's appeal of an increased rating for chronic lumbar strain was dismissed.,An effective date of February 1, 2017 was granted for service connection for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity.,An effective date of November 2, 2017 was granted for TDIU due to service-connected disorders.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his radiculopathy of the left lower sciatic nerve and lumbar spine condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board finds that a new VA examination is needed to properly assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is found to be etiologically due to injury sustained during active military service, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to the legacy appeal system. The issues remain as part of the pending appeals under the Legacy Appeals System.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective December 9, 2017, the date she stopped working full-time as a police officer due to her service-connected disabilities. The effective date for TDIU is being considered earlier based on her claim of unemployability.

The Board has ordered the remand of several issues due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings remain under review.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received, granting the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral pes planus, lumbar spine disorder, epididymitis, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder.,The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received, granting the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, lumbar spine disorder, epididymitis, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for lumbar disc disease, right leg nerve damage, chronic rhinitis, brain disease due to trauma, and an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) have been dismissed due to failure to comply with the appropriate claims processing rules regarding perfection of a Board appeal.,The Veteran did not file timely notices of disagreement or VA Form 10182s for these claims within one year of receiving notification letters from the RO, which required him to do so under the old and modernized appeals systems.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine have been denied as there is no evidence showing that his disability meets or approximates the criteria for a higher rating during any period on appeal.,A 40 percent rating has been granted for the Veteran's back disability from September 14, 2017. However, the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support an increased rating beyond this level.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and a higher rating were dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding cervical spine disability and other specified trauma and stress related disorder, and granted service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to his low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms had their onset during active duty and have been continuous since separation from service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of initial increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a back disorder, a bilateral foot disorder (other than hallux valgus), and a TBI.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not result in functional impairment sufficient to prevent substantially gainful employment prior to July 7, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the addition of new VA treatment records since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's tinea corporis was granted an initial rating of 30 percent, but denied a higher rating. The joint pain issue is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence added since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran's initial rating for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis, and intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine from June 10, 1992 to September 28, 2006 has been granted at a 10 percent disability rate.