Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a low back disorder and granted a rating increase to 30 percent for ulnar nerve disability, effective from September 1, 2012. The reduction in rating was proper as there was improvement evidenced by VA examination reports.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, bilateral foot, and skin disorders. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine and associated left lower extremity neurological disabilities are not due to an injury or disease incurred in active service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current back disability attributable to military service and denies his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is more likely than not related to his service-connected left and right knee disabilities, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion to determine the etiology of the Veteran's migraine headaches.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his active service, including his military duties and a 1993 automobile accident. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to scheduling issues for a Board hearing. The specific service connection or exposure basis details are not provided in the decision.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date earlier than February 6, 2009 for service connection of right L5 radiculopathy was denied. The claim for higher initial evaluations for lumbosacral spine disability prior to April 17, 2002 and in excess of 40 percent thereafter after February 6, 2009 is also denied.

The Board has decided to take jurisdiction over the claim of service connection for a cervical spine disability, to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability and the reopened claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss. The issues of an increased rating for the service connected lumbar spine disability are REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by his service, as there was no evidence of chronic conditions during service or continuity of symptomatology post-service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated medical records and conduct a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including whether there has been improvement since the October 2008 VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board video conference hearing. The issues of service connection for various conditions are still under consideration.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine strain from April 3, 2009 to February 23, 2012 and reduced it to 10 percent from August 14, 2013. The Veteran's PTSD appeal was withdrawn at the hearing. No TDIU was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition. The remaining claims for right shoulder, right knee, left knee, and bilateral foot disorders are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is etiologically related to his service-connected low back disability. The Board has determined that a rating higher than 20 percent for the low back disability prior to April 22, 2014, is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to a scheduling error for a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran's increased ratings for migraine headaches, degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, and bilateral pes planus are still pending.

The Board finds that the reduction of the evaluation from 40% to 20% for postoperative residuals of a herniated disc of the thoracolumbar spine was proper. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss service connection was not based on clear and unmistakable error in the April 2009 rating decision.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 40 percent, effective April 25, 2014. He also has separate ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.