Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back and shoulder disabilities, as well as a need for a new VA examination to assess the functional effects of his bilateral hearing loss disability on daily life.

The Veteran's thoracic spine disorder is granted as secondary to her service-connected lumbar strain. Her asthma and psychiatric disorders are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, a low back disorder, and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service. The gastrointestinal disability claim is also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals regarding his service-connected bilateral pes planus, bronchitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, back disorder, and right knee/leg disorder. The claims for pseudofolliculitis barbae, back disorder, and right knee/leg disorder were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including seeking clarification on SSA benefits and clarifying the in-service stressor related to PTSD. A VA examination will also be scheduled to address his back and hip claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing. Service connection claims for knee and back conditions are pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to address the claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hip condition, and neck condition. The examiner will need to provide opinions regarding whether these conditions are at least as likely as not related to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he meets the schedular requirement for TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss disability are related to in-service noise exposure, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, dental disorder, hypertension, low back disability, pes planus, and left eye disorder. The shin splints were resolved prior to filing of the claim.

The Veteran's low back disability and PTSD have been granted service connection, with the PTSD receiving a 70% initial rating prior to April 15, 2014.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at 30 percent, and she has been granted a TDIU based on her service-connected orthopedic and neurological disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to inconsistencies in the July 2006 VA examination and the need for updated treatment records. The Veteran will be afforded a new VA examination, and all relevant medical records must be obtained.

The Veteran's low back disability has been granted a 20 percent rating, effective from the date of service connection.

The Board has granted a separate rating for neurological manifestations associated with the service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD).

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back and left foot disabilities due to deficiencies in the evidence, including the need to obtain SSA records and clarify a VA opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and the need for an addendum opinion considering new treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence and TDIU were denied, as the claim for a temporary total evaluation was not timely filed. The July 2007 rating decision assigning a 10 percent disability rating for his back disability was found to be correct in both fact and law.