Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including her back and psychiatric conditions, render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and knee conditions have been granted, with the right shoulder receiving a temporary evaluation of 100 percent from July 28, 2014 to October 1, 2014, followed by a permanent rating of 20 percent. The lumbar strain has also received an increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, increased ratings for DJD of the lumbosacral spine, and radiculopathy of both lower extremities were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for additional development to clarify his military service in 2001, obtain medical records from Phoenix Pain Medicine, and provide addendum opinions regarding the etiology of his cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and knee disorders.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the knees, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and headaches. The appeals were decided as denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for asthma and low back disability have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability prior to December 1, 2010 was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability in service and concluded that the current condition is not related to any injury sustained during service. The Veteran's claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that the criteria for a higher rating were not met, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating. For his low back disability, the Board noted that prior to October 24, 2014, the criteria for a higher rating were not met (10 percent), but beginning on that date, the criteria for a 40 percent rating were approximated. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also addressed and found to be granted.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for sciatica of the right lower extremity and dismissed the earlier effective date claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete VA examination reports.

The Board has remanded the case to schedule a new VA examination for the Veteran's low back disability due to her failure to report for previous examinations. The appeal is currently in remand status.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of the issues of entitlement to service connection for upper back and left elbow disabilities prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU benefits.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed low back disability, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea), and penile lesions are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD, low back disability, and sporadic seizures are all service-connected. The claim for a TDIU is granted effective from February 1, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to issue a Statement of the Case on several issues.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a back disability, which the Board has determined requires additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for an examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) on the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and hypertension.