Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative joint disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and spasms, finding that it is due to an in-service injury. The claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disorder and back disorder due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 6, 2010 to August 20, 2012. For the period prior to January 22, 2018, his PTSD was rated at 70 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the low back and bilateral lower extremities neurological disorders. Service connection is being remanded for multiple joint arthritis, left upper extremity neurological disorder, and right upper extremity neurological disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain additional medical records and determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, including pain and degenerative joint disease (DJD), is related to his service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for mild spondylosis of the lumbar spine and has also granted his claim for service connection for a low back disorder. The claims are based on direct evidence, with no presumption or secondary relationship.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations did not substantially comply with previous remand directives and thus, the claims are being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's back disability has been granted a 40 percent rating from December 7, 2016 to February 1, 2017 and again beginning June 1, 2017. The effective date for the increased ratings is not specified.

The Veteran's initial rating for cervical strain prior to February 13, 2011 was denied as the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's initial rating for cervical strain from February 13, 2011 onward and lumbar disc herniation were both denied as they do not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's cervical spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, and lumbar spine disorders were not incurred or aggravated during service. The current diagnoses of arthritis in these areas are not related to active service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on various conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the claimant.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s neck, back, right hip, and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran and his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for purposes of adjudicating the Veteran's claims on appeal and remands them for further development. The issues include service connection for spinal nerve degeneration with pain and numbness, back condition and degenerative arthritis of the spine; dermatitis or eczema and onychomycosis of the toenails; and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent beginning January 29, 2018. The Board has remanded the issues of rating higher than 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability and rating higher than 10 percent for the lower extremity radiculopathies.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of his delimiting date for VA educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, finding that he did not submit a timely request and that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from utilizing these education benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and a back disability due to lack of new and material evidence, and because there was no causal relationship between his current conditions and service.