Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence linking his current conditions to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease was not changed.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of service connection. The low back disability has been granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's right knee and lower leg, right hip, and low back disabilities are not considered service-connected as they are not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back condition is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and bilateral shoulder disorder are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain relevant SSA records and schedule him for a VA examination regarding his left hip disability. The examiner will provide opinions on the likelihood of service connection for his left knee, lower back, and hip disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing or unavailable private medical records and an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of his service connected disabilities. Therefore, TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and providing a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to his lumbar spine, upper extremities, or lower extremities. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 10 percent from August 20, 2009 to June 3, 2015 and at 40 percent from June 3, 2015. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating based on incapacitating episodes or under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability did not begin during service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied.

The Veteran's low back disability was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to March 7, 2016 and not rated higher than 40 percent after that date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, including as secondary to his low back disability.

The Board has denied both the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and his request for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions are related to service or due to exposure to any specific hazard, and the preponderance of the evidence is against granting higher ratings.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a disability manifested by joint pain, and a low back disability. The evidence does not establish an in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.