Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The specific conditions and issues are tendonitis of the left knee, lumbar strain, and a compensable disability rating for deviated nasal septum.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected lumbar stenosis and associated left sensorimotor radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board found that the reductions in ratings for Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine, Sciatica associated with the lumbar spine disability, and Umbilical hernia were improper due to the RO's failure to properly apply procedural safeguards. The Veteran was not given an opportunity to present additional evidence or request a hearing before the reduction in ratings took effect.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed back disabilities were not related to service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to additional evidence received since the last decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to technical issues with the November 2015 Board videoconference hearing. The case will be scheduled for a new Board videoconference hearing at the appropriate RO.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the Board for further review and scheduling of a new hearing.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was increased to a 20 percent rating effective March 20, 2010. The claim for an earlier effective date remains on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, hearing loss disability, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran did not have a diagnosed concussion from his head injury or current post-concussive headaches. His current migraines are attributed to sinus congestion during service. He does not meet VA criteria for a hearing loss disability. The Board found no causal relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claimed back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities were not incurred in service. The Board determined that there was no credible evidence supporting a direct service connection for these conditions.

The case is being remanded to obtain additional opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed disabilities of the left foot, right foot, and lumbar spine. The claims will be reconsidered after this development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings in several areas, including hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, psychiatric disability, hypertension, epicondylitis of the left elbow, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have hearing loss during service or within one year of separation, and thus denied his claim for service connection for hearing loss.

The case is being remanded for further development to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for right leg and back disabilities, including consideration of his lay statements regarding injuries sustained during parachuting jumps.

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for upper back disability is dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection for lumbar disk syndrome with lumbar spondylosis and cervical spondylosis/sprain. The Veteran's chronic sinusitis and associated headaches are found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional information regarding his employment history and a VA medical opinion evaluating the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes. The claims of entitlement to service connection for right leg sciatica, left leg sciatica, and lumbar disc disease with post-operative residuals are also denied.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that his impairment was analogous to forward flexion greater than 15 degrees without spinal ankylosis or prescribed bed rest.