Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he did not provide all necessary information to establish his entitlement to additional dependency compensation based on his relationship with T. H. A., his minor child, within one year of the August 2013 rating decision which established compensation and rated a service-connected disability not less than 30 percent.

The Board has denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The claims of service connection for a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and an eye disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural errors and incomplete records. The Veteran's claims for right knee, left knee, and lumbosacral spine disorders are pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The claim for an increased rating for hiatal hernia with GERD was denied as the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. Service connection claims for blepharitis, trichiasis, lumbosacral radiculopathy and piriformis syndrome, peripheral neuropathy of the right side, and peripheral neuropathy of the left side were also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic heart condition arrhythmia, a low back condition, and a left heel injury due to the lack of evidence showing current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective August 7, 2020 due to service-connected disabilities. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to that date is remanded for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and a psychiatric disorder. The evidence supports the conclusion that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.,The VA examiner found no nexus between the claimed low back condition and service, while the private examiner concluded that the Veteran's physical job duties during service likely caused his back condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back condition and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran was unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities from January 25, 2007 to July 23, 2008. The Board granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU, DEA benefits, and SMC prior to October 2, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability during this period due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran also did not have a permanent total service-connected disability in effect prior to October 2, 2017. Effective April 19, 2021, but no earlier, the Veteran was granted SMC benefits based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to various dates have been dismissed as the decisions were final and not subject to revision.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for various conditions as there were no underlying initial claims that were appealable to the Board at the time of the Veteran's January 25, 2022 VA Form 10182.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tachycardia, chronic tonsillitis and adenoiditis status post surgery, Brugada syndrome, adverse effect of selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, radiculopathy in the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy in the right lower extremity. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, shin, cervical spine, ankle, elbow, hip, and extremity conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or a causal relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hip disability, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and urinary frequency due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's hearing loss and back disability are currently rated as noncompensable.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, requiring an addendum medical opinion regarding the service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine disability or pain that causes functional impairment, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for her lumbar disability is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination. The case will be returned for further evaluation and consideration.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for TDIU, which the Board has decided to remand due to insufficient evidence of unemployability by reason of service-connected disabilities.