Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the nature, etiology, and severity of his claimed conditions. The issues include right hip arthritis, glaucoma, gout, hearing loss, knee disability, and sleep disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is found to be related to his service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders, finding that the current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to neuropathy and right knee disorder, as well as low back disorders, are remanded due to inadequate or insufficient medical opinions provided by VA examiners.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that it began during active duty and is related to in-service lifting duties.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine degenerative changes and service connection for anxiety disorder.

The Veteran disagrees with the reduction in his VA compensation payment due to a military retired pay adjustment, which occurred in June 2021. The RO did not provide proper notice of this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities due to errors in decision-making and incomplete evidence. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any missing treatment records from Dr. G.K.A., provide new VA examinations, and consider lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spondylosis and varicose veins of the pelvic region as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of a right inguinal hernia. Service connection for reflux esophagitis is remanded due to insufficient rationale in the VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, skin disability, cervical spine disability, and right upper extremity radiculopathy have been rated as per the criteria. The effective date for the award of a TDIU has been granted earlier than April 17, 2020, and an earlier effective date for the establishment of basic eligibility for education benefits under Chapter 35 (DEA) has also been granted.

The Board has determined that the VA examination conducted in January 2020 is inadequate and remands the case for a new examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as he can perform sedentary work with some restrictions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back, right knee, and left knee conditions due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran's lay testimony regarding in-service duties and symptoms is considered sufficient to trigger VA's duty to assist.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease with herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1 as the appellant's representative withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's lumbar spine spondylolisthesis with status post-spinal fusion and healed scar was granted an initial 20 percent evaluation prior to September 2, 2014, a 40 percent evaluation from June 7, 2016, and denied any higher evaluations. The Veteran's lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity received a 20 percent evaluation as of June 7, 2016.

The Board has determined that the VA examination was inadequate for failing to consider the Veteran's lay statements about his symptoms and their continuity since discharge. The matter is therefore REMANDED for a supplemental opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back disability, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, and surgical scar post diskectomy are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine injury and lumbar spine DJD are being remanded for further evaluation due to the possibility of increased disability since his last VA examination in June 2017.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula.