Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability and pulmonary disorder, but denied them on the merits. The psychiatric claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits were denied across multiple conditions and disabilities. The appeal is not about any presumptive exposure to Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, or other specific bases.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected degenerative disc and joint disease of the spine. The claim for TDIU will also be developed.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent effective December 26, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA treatment records and further development of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to outdated evidence and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's back disability is not service-connected as it did not manifest during his active duty service and there is no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and reviewing existing medical records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted increased ratings for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity effective May 5, 2014. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his lumbar spine and cervical fusion disabilities, as well as his right great toe disability. The Veteran was not granted any higher ratings.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his cervical spine DDD is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records and address inconsistencies in the February 2015 VA examination report.

The Veteran's neck and back disabilities have been granted service connection, but the initial ratings assigned are 10 percent for both conditions. The GERD claim remains in appellate status with a current rating of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck and back disorders are not etiologically related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's current cervical spine disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms in service or continuous symptoms since service. The Board finds that the weight of the evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims are being remanded to allow for additional examinations and consideration of all evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity has been rated at 20 percent since April 20, 2006. From July 20, 2015, his condition is rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if any lumbar spine disorders are related to service. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is now pending before the agency of original jurisdiction.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues due to finality of previous decisions.