Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and lung disorder are not service-connected.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain and headaches. The RO denied his claims of entitlement to compensable ratings for service-connected hemorrhoids and prostatitis.

The Board granted a 30 percent initial disability rating for service-connected major depressive disorder and found that the veteran's leg cramps, ingrown toenails, stomach disorder, ulcers, low back disorder, hepatitis A, delayed stress syndrome, headaches, and residuals of a head injury are not currently diagnosed or supported by evidence. The effective date is not specified.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected low back strain and tendonitis of the right foot, as well as his claim for service connection for scars on his right forearm. The RO assigned a noncompensable rating for the veteran's low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional information and records, including verification of the veteran's reserve duty dates and any service records from that time.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and to obtain medical opinions regarding the appellant's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back disorder alone renders him unemployable, and thus grants a TDIU based on this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, determined to be a direct service connection without any presumption or secondary theory.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records from September 2001 to the present.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The initial disability ratings for arthralgia disease of the lumbar spine and sarcoidosis are still pending.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development due to VCAA compliance issues and consideration of secondary service connection theories.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of compensable evaluations for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, finding that the earliest date that may be assigned as the effective date is September 20, 1996.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

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.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent since December 16, 1991.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and a respiratory disorder, claimed as secondary to asbestos exposure, are denied as there is no evidence of chronic conditions during military service or current disabilities related to such conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disability was not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service and is not related to any service-connected condition. The appeal for service connection has been denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and providing the veteran with VA examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected conditions, including multiple joint pain, chronic fatigue with lightheadedness and dizziness, mood disorder with depression and parasomnia, degenerative disc disease at C6-7, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective date is not specified.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to walk without the aid of a wheelchair, and he is entitled to specially adapted housing assistance or a special home adaptation grant.