Neck / cervical spine
Across 5,644 real Board appeals for Neck / cervical spine
67% were granted, partly granted, or remanded.
A denial is often not the end — remands are sent back for more development and frequently end in a grant.
- Granted 14%
- Partly granted 23%
- Remanded 30%
- Denied 26%
What tends to win
Among the appeals that were granted or partly granted, the most common ways Neck / cervical spine was linked to service:
- Direct service connection1,595
- Secondary to another service-connected condition144
- Reopened with new & material evidence142
How it’s rated, in practice
When Neck / cervical spine was granted, the rating most often assigned was:
- 100% (418)
- 20% (105)
- 30% (99)
- 10% (75)
- 70% (51)
Presumptive & exposure paths
These appeals involved a recognized exposure — which can mean the link to service is presumed, with no nexus to prove:
- PACT Act52
- Gulf War45
- Agent Orange / herbicides27
- Camp Lejeune water24
- Burn pits & airborne hazards8
Real decisions
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates of June 2, 2023, for the grant of service connection for various conditions and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and a thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are causally or etiologically due to his time in service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 8, 2022, for the award of service connection for cervical cancer and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a back disability and a neck disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities were incurred in active service.
- Granted
The appeal was granted as the February 2021 Decision Review Request: Higher-Level Review, VA Form 20-996, was timely filed within one year of the January 2021 Agency of Original Jurisdiction determination.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.