Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spondylosis and migraine headaches are related to his active military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is found to be service-connected due to its presumptive nature based on his Gulf War service. The other conditions are not currently service-connected.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 40 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that he did not meet the requirements for TDIU prior to April 29, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, heart disorder, and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his active military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and heart disability, as there is no evidence of these conditions during the pendency of his claim. The Board has also found that new examinations are necessary to assess the current severity of his lumbar spine and headache disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any private treatment records from his September 2015 surgery. The Veteran will also be asked to provide information about his employment history.

The Board has reopened and granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss disability, low back disability, neck disability, parotid gland neoplasm, radiculopathy of upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of upper extremities, radiculopathy of lower extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions were not present during service or related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, a right shoulder condition, and left arm and hand conditions. However, the evidence received since the October 2007 denial does not provide sufficient material to support the Veteran's contentions that his current conditions were caused by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of a back disability and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted. The Veteran was also denied increased evaluations for his left knee disorder and right wrist disabilities, as well as TDIU.

The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's currently diagnosed low back disorder had onset during active service, and the Board finds that service connection should be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, effective from June 29, 2007. The Veteran's initial claim was denied in November 1996 and reopened on October 20, 2008.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hip disorder, and low back disorder secondary to the service-connected bilateral pes planus. The effective date of the grant of service connection is set at April 6, 1993. The TDIU claim will be remanded due to a need for additional information from the Veteran.

The Veteran is granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for his service-connected low back disability, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, and his left shoulder disability warrants a rating of 30 percent.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic lung cancer, which is service-connected. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.,The Appellant is not entitled to an effective date prior to June 24, 2015, for the award of special monthly compensation based on her need for aid and attendance.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims for psychiatric disorder, residuals of a head injury, tinnitus, right eye disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are not etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's back disability was initially assigned a noncompensable rating. The May 2012 rating decision assigned a 10 percent rating effective August 31, 2010, and a May 2013 rating decision assigned a 20 percent rating effective February 12, 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of reserve service records. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the RO for further development.