Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claims for other conditions. The effective dates assigned were December 20, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of his claims. The lumbar spine disability claim requires a VA examination to determine its etiology, while the rhinitis claim needs reevaluation as there may have been changes in symptoms since the last examination.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he does not have a right knee disorder and his service connection claim for the right knee disorder is granted on a new and material basis. The Veteran's left knee disorder, DDD of L5-S1, and folliculitis are each rated at their current levels.

The Board has determined that additional VA examination is necessary due to the inaccuracy of the medical history provided by the Veteran, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed stomach, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and back disorders are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service. The conditions were either diagnosed after service or attributed to other causes such as alcohol use.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and a need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, back disability, sleep disorder (chronic fatigue), and elbow disability have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for tinnitus. The remaining issues are still under review.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's appeal due to scheduling issues for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge, via videoconference. The Veteran was originally scheduled for a hearing on August 13, 2014, but his representative requested rescheduling due to previously scheduled hearings with the Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low and mid back disorder, as the submitted evidence is cumulative of previous records.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a low back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar strain is causally related to his in-service back injury due to an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is related to service and grants service connection for it. However, there is no evidence of a right shoulder disorder during or after service, so service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities due to incomplete development of the record.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities from August 17, 1989, to September 22, 2002, and a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is granted for this period.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right hand disability were granted initial ratings of 20 percent, while the iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee was found to warrant a non-compensable rating. Lower extremity radiculopathy associated with lumbosacral strain was not separately rated.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining sick and morning reports from the National Personnel Records Center, securing records related to the Veteran's Workman's Compensation claim following a plane crash in 1984, and providing an opinion regarding whether his back disability is related to service.

The Veteran's low back disability and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated in service. The Board denied the claims as there was no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a new VA medical opinion and scheduling an examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed back disability. The appeal is now pending again.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability with radiculopathy has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to November 9, 2007, and from January 1, 2008, to July 28, 2008. From July 29, 2008, to March 14, 2010, the disability has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent. Since November 1, 2012, the disability has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent.