Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inclement weather preventing the scheduled hearing. The case will be processed again with a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is found to have onset in service or be caused by his active military service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for this condition. The low back disability and residuals of a fractured coccyx are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent, while the radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities received staged ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination to determine if he has any current residuals of his in-service pilonidal cyst, and whether any current back disability is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not cause functional limitations that prevent him from overcoming his employment handicap, and thus he is not entitled to vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 of Title 38 of the United States Code.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling since June 1, 2005. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects his symptoms and does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to January 28, 2010 and is now rated at 70 percent. His hypertension remains at a 10 percent rating. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 40 percent as of July 21, 2009.

The Veteran's low back strain was incurred in service and is currently present. The Board finds that the current low back disability is less likely than not caused by or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral eye disability, back disability, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were not reopened for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. ¶ 1151, and SMC based on aid and attendance were denied by the Board.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of low back, left hip, and right knee disorders as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The VA examinations did not provide a clear opinion on the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding that none were incurred or caused by his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and coccyx disorders are unrelated to in-service back injuries, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board has granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional treatment records from his time in Alaska and to provide these records to an examiner for further review.

The Veteran's claims of increased ratings and service connection for various conditions were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The Board found that the current evidence was insufficient to substantiate these claims.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and hip disabilities were rated at 20 percent, but the RO denied his claims for increased ratings.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's request for withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's mechanical low back pain was found to be manifested by forward thoracolumbar flexion less than 60 degrees from March 1, 2007 to January 7, 2010. Prior to that time, the disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.