Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was submitted prior to the AOJ decision on appeal, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for a back disability. The AOJ is directed to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his back disability is related to service or caused by his service-connected knee or ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spondylolisthesis, adjustment disorder, left knee strain, tinnitus, and right elbow trauma, are found to render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is seeking additional retroactive VA disability compensation benefits due to receipt of Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) for the period from December 1, 2008 to June 30, 2012. The Board has remanded this case to determine if the Veteran received full amount of VA compensation benefits he was entitled to receive during that time.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability did not begin during service and is not otherwise etiologically linked to his military service, thus denying his claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding combat service and their relationship to service. The Veteran is also being asked to provide information about his reported combat incidents.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because his request to reinstate withdrawn claims was untimely, and the appeals were effectively withdrawn on March 25, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in him needing regular aid and attendance due to his physical limitations caused by his orthopedic conditions.

The claim for service connection for low back pain has been reopened, and the Veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease is granted. The psychiatric disability claims are remanded due to conflicting findings in previous evaluations.

The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent effective December 2, 2016, for a lumbosacral spine disability was improper and a 20 percent rating is restored effective December 2, 2016. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for her service-connected residuals of a fracture of the coccyx is also remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain, left and right weak quadriceps muscles, and residuals of a right femur fracture disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.

The Board has remanded the issues of initial ratings for lumbar spine and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence in some cases, including flare-ups.

The appeals regarding service connection for various conditions and increased ratings have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for a back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right hip, left knee, right knee, and right ankle disabilities due to a parachute jump incident in 1963. The VA will need to schedule new examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the bilateral femoral nerves and peripheral neuropathy of the left sciatic nerve have been rated based on their severity, with moderate symptoms for both conditions.,The service-connected surgical scar associated with degenerative disc disease with lumbar stenosis has not been assigned a compensable evaluation.

The claim for service connection for a low back disability is dismissed.,The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except hypertension is remanded. The Board will consider the claim of service connection for hypertension, which may be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Veteran's right knee replacement and related radiculopathy conditions have been granted service connection, with a separate evaluation for instability. The claim for an increased rating for the total knee replacement has been denied.