Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability is not well grounded.,For the period prior to March 29, 1997, his cervical spine disability was evaluated at 20 percent. From that date onwards, it has been rated at 30 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and residuals of ruptured right ear drum. The appeals on whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for left ear hearing loss and cervical spine disorder were dismissed due to lack of timely substantive appeal.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine and granted a 20 percent rating for his low back strain. The evidence submitted since the last final denial is considered new and material, suggesting that the veteran's current condition may be related to his period of service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability as his claim was not well-grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking any current back disability to an incident of service or post-service symptomatology.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an original evaluation greater than 10 percent for a low back disability, service connection for right knee and left knee disabilities, and service connection for gastroenteritis. The evidence did not support ratings higher than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain VA outpatient treatment reports from January 1969 and records from Social Security Administration. The veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder will be reconsidered based on new evidence.

The Board found that there is no current, competent diagnosis of PTSD related to an in-service stressor. Therefore, the claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to lack of evidence supporting his claims.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's gunshot wound residuals and remanded the issue of a higher PTSD disability rating.

The Board found that the reduction in compensation benefits due to the appellant's incarceration was proper.

The Board found that the veteran did not submit competent evidence of plausible claims for service connection for her claimed conditions.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 16, 1986 for the assignment of a 10% disability rating for lumbosacral strain.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, 60 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with disc bulge at L3-L4, or 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder. The veteran's claim for increased ratings for right ear hearing loss was also denied.

The veteran's low back disorder was initially rated at 10% prior to July 5, 1994. It has been increased to 20% effective from July 5, 1994.,Since March 17, 1998, the veteran's low back disorder is rated at 40%

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that a rating in excess of 20 percent was not warranted from September 8, 1998.

The veteran is granted a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to service-connected conditions affecting multiple joints, including the right hip and left hip. The special home adaptation grant claim is denied as it would be precluded by the benefits already awarded under section 2101(a).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, increased rating for PTSD, and arthritis of the low back and right hip. The decision concluded that the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coccidioidomycosis of L2, residuals of a fracture of L2 with discogenic disease of the lumbosacral spine due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service or his service-connected low back disability.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left hip arthritis and arthritis as a residual of fracture of the left ankle. Service connection for this degree of aggravation is granted.

The veteran's case is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a video-conference hearing at the Seattle RO due to his failure to appear for an earlier scheduled Travel Board hearing.