Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of headaches as moot due to a grant of service connection for traumatic brain injury. The claims for hearing loss and low back disorder with bilateral sciatica were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service or the first post-service year.

The Board has remanded the case for additional evidentiary development and to schedule a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of jurisdiction as his claims have been granted in full by an August 2015 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and Social Security Administration disability records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability will be reconsidered after these steps.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was reopened and granted, but the issue of hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus remains denied.,Service connection has been established for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The low back disability is considered direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and determine their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for hypertension, lumbosacral strain, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee osteoarthritis. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 40 percent for hypertension prior to September 26, 2008 or for a rating higher than 10 percent for either knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that this rating is not in excess of what is warranted based on his medical evidence. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was also evaluated but no higher rating could be granted under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis with degenerative disc disease is rated at 30 percent, and his radiculopathy of the right and left upper extremities are each rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back pain have been denied. The claim for PTSD has not yet been addressed due to the need for new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders, including spondylosis, spinal stenosis, arthritis, degenerative facet hypertrophy, degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathy, are aggravated by his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his low back disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a joint disability, a gastrointestinal disability, a lumbar spine disability, and a cervical spine disability have all been denied. The VA examinations did not find any current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and examination to address the issues of service connection, rating for DDD at L3-L4, and TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of a back disability or right knee disorder that was caused by service, and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete compliance with previous remand instructions and the need for additional examination.

The Veteran's back disability (other than cervical myositis) is not related to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's headache disability has not been linked to his service-connected cervical myositis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and readjudication due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.