Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals seeking earlier effective dates for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy ratings, as well as his requests for higher rating decisions. The appeal was also remanded for further development regarding a TDIU claim.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective from January 21, 2016. The left ankle and left wrist disabilities remain denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20% prior to April 5, 2019 and denied for a higher rating. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disability (secondary to lumbar spine) and neurological disorder of bilateral upper extremities (carpal tunnel syndrome).

The Veteran's appeal of his initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that new and relevant service department records were obtained after a prior denial of service connection for the Veteran's carcinoma of the appendix. The claims are remanded to reconsider the claim.

Your appeals for service connection of your right hip and lumbar spine disabilities have been dismissed as you withdrew them prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, but the issues of service connection for back disability and major depressive disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for back disability, neck disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and nasal disability (deviated septum) due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The VA examiner will provide opinions on whether these disabilities are related to service or aggravated by any period of ACDUTRA/INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are more closely approximated by a 50 percent disability rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine DDD is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are more closely approximated by the current 20 percent disability rating.

The Board has found that the Veteran's lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy require additional examination to determine their current severity. The case is therefore being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of L5-S1 with spondylosis of the lumbar spine resulted in a rating higher than 20 percent prior to May 14, 2012. Beginning June 1, 2007, he was granted a separate 10 percent rating for right lumbar radiculopathy.,Effective from May 14, 2012, the Veteran was granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran did not have a chronic low back disability in service or within one year of separation. The current condition is not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for an increased rating of lumbosacral strain with DDD prior to December 3, 2008 and for entitlement to a TDIU effective prior to October 1, 2008 due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran needs a retrospective medical opinion regarding his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 10 percent prior to August 16, 2019 and denied for a higher rating. From August 16, 2019, the Veteran is not entitled to an increased rating.

The claims of service connection for back and left foot disabilities have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The cases are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease was granted a 40% rating, effective from the date of decision. The Board also granted entitlement to Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) for periods prior to August 10, 2016 and from November 1, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as of October 2, 1998.,An extraschedular rating for esophagitis and gastritis is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, and referral for extraschedular consideration is not warranted as his employment issues are due to nonservice-connected factors.