Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and remanded it for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating as they are incomplete due to inadequate VA examination reports. The Veteran is seeking service connection for low back pain and right foot arthritis that he believes are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, low back disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension have been denied.,Service connection is not granted as the evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been granted. The right hand disability, lumbar disability, bilateral hearing loss, and insomnia are all found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bronchitis is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him incapable of maintaining substantially gainful employment from the period beginning February 4, 2017. TDIU is granted for this period.

The Board has decided to remand both the increased rating claim for a low back disability and the TDIU claim due to insufficient evidence of current severity of the Veteran's service-connected condition. The VA will obtain additional medical records, schedule the Veteran for an examination, and consider her claims again.

A higher rating of 10 percent is granted for service-connected hypertension. Service connection for psychiatric disability and back disability are granted, but left knee disability remains remanded. Other claims related to these issues are also remanded.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was granted a disability rating of 20 percent effective April 3, 2015. The right knee degenerative joint disease and left knee strain were also granted increased ratings.

The Board has found that the most recent VA examinations are too remote to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and PTSD. The claims are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded to obtain a Statement of the Case on claims for clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in rating decisions, obtain VA treatment records from October 2018 forward, arrange for VA examinations to assess cervical spondylosis with disc protrusion, neurological disabilities of the upper extremities, and TDIU claim, and readjudicate the service connection, disability ratings, and effective date claims.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative disc disease of the spine is granted as her current diagnosis and symptoms are linked to her active duty service.

All appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for obstructive sleep apnea, heart disorder, erectile dysfunction, and acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities were denied. The Veteran’s right ankle disability was granted a rating of 20 percent effective February 3, 2016.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for his lumbar and thoracic spine disabilities, as well as cervical spine disability, have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is remanded due to inadequate examination findings regarding flare-ups and functional loss.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and granted an initial rating of 50 percent for post-traumatic headaches. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also granted.

The Board found that the reduction in the rating for lumbar strain from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective May 1, 2015, was improper and restored the original 20 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service.,There is insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran’s current conditions to his period of active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate August 2014 VA examination and a need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an addendum opinion on functional loss.