Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection due to lack of factual support within one year prior to his January 2016 intent to file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder and sleep apnea due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran reported continuous symptoms since service, but the VA examiners did not adequately address these complaints.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, and gastrointestinal disorders due to inadequate examination reports that did not address the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service falls.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left arm disorder, PTSD, and lumbar spine disorders are not service-connected. The Board also found that her right knee and foot conditions have not been evaluated since September 2014 and ordered additional examinations to assess these conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are found to be related to service, specifically the helicopter crash in February 1967. Service connection is granted for these conditions.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy (numbness in hands and arms) and right lower extremity radiculopathy (numbness in the right leg), both found to be secondary to service-connected cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The VA is instructed to schedule the Veteran for a new examination to assess his lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and their impact on employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment from June 13, 2010. The reduction in rating for bilateral cataracts was remanded due to inadequate SOC addressing its propriety. The compensable rating for bilateral cataracts is also remanded as the criteria were revised effective May 2018.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment for the period from November 15, 2012 to February 15, 2013, and granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for narcolepsy, a back disability, hypertension, right leg disability, and left leg disability due to new evidence showing they are related to an in-service personal assault. The claims are granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder is remanded due to the need to obtain in-patient/hospitalization records from Portsmouth Naval Hospital, where he received treatment for an in-service motor vehicle accident. The AOJ should review the record and conduct any additional development needed.

The Veteran's lumbosacral sprain has been rated at 20 percent since November 3, 2010. The Board denied a higher rating as the evidence does not show that his forward flexion is limited to 30 degrees or less, which would warrant a 40 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back disability, brain tumor, and residuals of a broken nose due to incomplete examination reports and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again with additional examinations.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 7, 2005 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's income and unreimbursed medical expenses for the entire rating period on appeal from June 2012. The Veteran is still presumed permanently and totally disabled, but further development is needed to determine if his income meets the applicable maximum annual pension rate (MAPR).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disability. The VA is instructed to obtain additional records and conduct a new examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of all listed conditions.

The Veteran's left ear sensorineural hearing loss and low back disability are granted service connection. The Veteran's right hip disability is remanded for further examination, and his right ear sensorineural hearing loss claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected low back and right ankle disabilities, in combination, render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU rating effective from August 3, 2009.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine spondylosis and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.