Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and remanded it for further development. The Veteran submitted new evidence that tends to substantiate his claim, which was denied in an earlier rating decision.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence. However, the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his current degenerative disc disease with left sided stenosis is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further procedural development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected back disability and its impact on employment. A TDIU claim has been inferred from evidence in the record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular rating for his lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support such assignment due to the lack of unusual or exceptional disability pattern.

The Board found no evidence of a low back injury in service and concluded that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, finding that it was caused by the Veteran's right ankle disability. The left ankle disability claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or an increase in disability rating.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a low back injury, including obtaining an adequate VA examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing records and incomplete VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc and joint disease, lumbar back, with history of disc herniation, status post L5-S1 diskectomy. The decision is based on a direct service connection theory without any mention of exposure to specific hazards.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's October 2004 injury aggravated his pre-existing degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and whether he developed any additional disability as a result.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and left hip disabilities are pending.

The Board found that the Veteran was capable of sedentary employment prior to March 16, 2011 and denied his claim for a TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic orthopedic disorder of his left knee, finding no evidence to support a relationship between his current condition and his active service or his service-connected right knee disability. The issue regarding service connection for a chronic lumbar spine disorder was remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly assess the Veteran's claims, including for a VA examination and adjudication of the TDIU claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disorder did not manifest during or as a result of active military service, nor is it secondary to his service-connected neuropathy of the right common peroneal nerve. Therefore, service connection for this condition cannot be established.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support the conclusion that his pre-existing condition was aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and the provision of his complete VA treatment records from August 2005 to present.

The Veteran's death was not due to any service-connected disability, and the cause of his death (respiratory distress syndrome) is not presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran did not have a total service-connected disability rating at the time of his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.