Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's death was not service-connected, and the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach disorder was not well-grounded and denied it. The claims for increased evaluations of lumbar strain, left greater trochanteric bursitis, and iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee were also denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for major depression were both denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current back condition to service, and that the earliest effective date for the grant of service connection for major depression would be January 3, 1997.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disorder, finding that the appellant's current back disability is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back condition is service-connected, as it can be linked to his motor vehicle accident during active duty.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was not well-grounded due to lack of current evidence of a chronic disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with facet joint arthropathy was incurred in active service, and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for the residuals of a fracture to the coccyx effective April 13, 2000. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for this disability was also granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin condition claimed as a residual of exposure to Agent Orange, and chronic lumbosacral strain. The claim for PTSD was granted with an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder, bipolar disorder, and right carpal tunnel syndrome. However, none of these claims are well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and an ear condition, as well as his request for an increased rating for residuals of a fracture of the distal third right radius. The claim for service connection for an ear condition was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the March 1972 decision, but it is not considered well-grounded.

The Board has remanded the veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability due to conflicting medical opinions. The increased rating claim for intermittent anterior lower leg pain is well-grounded, but does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a low back disorder and cervical spine disorder. The claim for secondary service connection for a low back disorder is not well grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence linking it to his service-connected shell fragment wound injury residuals. The August 1956 rating decision granting service connection for the right thigh shell fragment wound was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The veteran's new and material evidence claim for cervical spine disorder has been granted, but he must still prove a causal link between his current condition and service to establish well-groundedness.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current discogenic disease of the lumbar spine to his service, and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection of a low back disability. The right ankle disability rating remains pending as there is no clear indication of whether it should be granted, denied, or remanded.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for the service-connected lower back disability, which is currently rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee impairment and low back pain are not well grounded. The claim for skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure is also denied as new and material evidence has not been submitted.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, and hemorrhoids were denied by the RO. The RO did not assign a rating higher than 10 percent for his low back condition or his tinnitus, but continued to deny his requests for higher ratings for his bilateral patello-femoral syndrome and hemorrhoids.

The Board found that the veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes, as they are rated at zero percent combined.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical dysplasia and increased the rating for low back disability from January 5, 1988 to August 1992 and from April 9, 1998 onwards. The effective date is not specified.