Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a back disorder, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the August 1975 rating decision. The effective date for the grant of service connection was not assigned as requested.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's low back and right shoulder disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by his period of active duty.

The veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was granted, with the effective date set at March 13, 2000. The temporary total rating based on convalescence after surgery in February 1995 is moot.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations. The case will be reviewed in light of any new evidence received.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and an increased rating for residuals of a sacroiliac injury are pending. The RO denied the veteran's claim for service connection, but granted him a 20 percent disability rating for his existing condition.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the appellant's service-connected lumbosacral strain, effective from the date of the RO's May 1995 rating action.

The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's lumbosacral strain disability with degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that the veteran's right knee instability, lumbar strain, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine do not warrant evaluations in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lumbosacral strain, superimposed on congenital malformation warrants a 40 percent evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a back disability, thus denying the reopening of the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a laminectomy of the lumbar spine at L4-5 are related to his active military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 40 percent for chronic low back syndrome and 10 percent for a pain disorder, finding that the schedular criteria did not meet the requirements for these increased ratings.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain and degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. The RO must ensure that the examinations are in compliance with the directives of this remand.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied as not well grounded. The RO certified these issues to the Board, which is now remanding them for further development.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and left knee disorder was denied. His claim for an increased evaluation for his left elbow fracture with post-traumatic arthritis was granted, with the effective date set at January 23, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and readjudication on the merits due to new evidence and changes in regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, granted service connection for a low back disability with a 10 percent rating, right hip disability with a 10 percent rating, and right knee disability with a 10 percent rating. The veteran's claim for compensable initial ratings for decreased visual acuity and dry eye on the right was not addressed in this decision.

The Board found that the veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis L4-L5 with foraminal stenosis is manifested by severe limitation of motion, lumbar strain, or intervertebral disc syndrome. The criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent have not been met.