Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with spondylosis, and end stage renal disease status post kidney transplant. The claims for left ear hearing loss, asbestosis, and tuberculosis were remanded.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disorder to obtain an addendum opinion that addresses the Veteran's lay statements and post-service treatment, as well as the June 2023 VA examiner's qualifications.

The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for adjustment disorder with anxiety and remanded other issues for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates, finding that his symptoms did not warrant higher ratings or earlier effective dates.

The Board denied service connection for right lower and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, a rating in excess of 50 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension. However, the TDIU was granted.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected left knee, lumbar spine, and sciatic nerve radiculopathy disabilities but granted TDIU from September 14, 2020, to November 20, 2022, and from June 21, 2023, to July 30, 2024.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, but granted a temporary 100 percent rating from April 14, 2021, through May 31, 2021, and a minimum 30 percent thereafter for the Veteran's right hip status post arthroplasty.

The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's back condition and a 20 percent disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands all service connection claims for a back condition, left and right foot conditions, left and right knee conditions, right shoulder condition, and sleep condition due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for latent tuberculosis and a back disability, finding no evidence of a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, left shoulder, right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for left and right post total knee arthroplasty, a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board remanded several claims for service connection and initial ratings, including cervical spine degenerative arthritis with strain, left upper extremity cervical radiculopathy middle radicular group as secondary to cervical spine degenerative arthritis with strain, peripheral neuropathy of the left hand, peripheral neuropathy of the right hand, lumbosacral strain, a left knee scar, and a right knee scar. The appeal for TDIU was dismissed as moot.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, back condition, and bilateral knee conditions due to a duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claim for a thoracolumbar spine disorder to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining claims were remanded.

The Board denied entitlement to higher disability ratings for chronic sinusitis, low back disability, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy right upper extremity, and thoracolumbar spine scar. The Board also remanded service connection claims for left and right knee disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder condition secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability, but remanded claims for cervical strain and lumbosacral strain due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran was granted a 100 percent disability rating for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain and major depressive episodes, effective May 6, 2021. The right ankle debridement of arthritis, post traumatic, was denied a higher rating, while service connection was granted for right knee pain but denied for low back pain and radiculopathy in the lower right extremity.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbosacral strain to schedule a new VA examination as the previous one was found inadequate.