Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% prior to March 3, 2015. The TDIU claim has been granted with an effective date of June 12, 2012. Service connection for a back condition is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral or cervical strain (claimed as lower back injury or scoliosis) due to new and material evidence. The Board also granted service connection for this condition, finding a nexus between the Veteran's current disability and an in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his left foot scar and service connection claim for a back disorder. His VA treatment records need to be obtained, and he should undergo a new examination.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the reopening of a claim for service connection for a neck condition and the increased rating for right shoulder osteoarthritis. Other claims are also being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a back disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted service connection. Right ear hearing loss is denied as there was no diagnosis of hearing loss in the right ear during the appeal period. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted a rating of at least 20 percent from September 28, 2009 to May 23, 2011.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient verification of service periods and a need for additional service treatment reports.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and low back disorder, along with other conditions, make him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeals for service connection of a back disorder, COPD, and increased ratings for chronic prostatitis have been dismissed. The abdominal disorder and precancerous lesions are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 2, 2016. Therefore, the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Retirement based on Unemployability (TDIU) prior to that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for low back disability and acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease, left knee arthritis with left leg shin splints, and right knee arthritis with right leg shin splints. The Veteran will be provided additional VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at a 40 percent since March 1, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to his in-service back pain.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (manifested by anxiety and sleep impairment), and sleep apnea as the conditions were not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including a chronic back condition, hypertension, diverticulitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal polyps, hemorrhoids, constipation, urinary retention, and anemia. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of onset in service or relationship to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for respiratory condition was not addressed as it is unclear if it was part of the appeal process.

The Veteran's left leg radiculopathy is rated at 40 percent effective July 20, 2008. The Board has also remanded the issues of a higher rating for his lumbar spine condition and TDIU.

The Veteran's back disorder is rated at 20 percent, and his PTSD is rated at 50 percent. Both conditions are denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.