Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's cervical sprain, PTSD, and exercise-induced asthma were not granted service connection. The Veteran was awarded a 30% rating for his PTSD but denied compensation for his exercise-induced asthma.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected.,The Veteran's injuries, including fractures and head injury with dementia, are due to his own willful misconduct in driving under the influence of alcohol. As such, these disabilities cannot be service-connected.,The Veteran's chest injury is not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development of the evidence, including obtaining updated medical opinions and records from various providers.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck and low back disabilities are not etiologically related to his service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted service connection, with a 10 percent rating effective from April 4, 2002. The bilateral elbow disability claim was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly assess the Veteran's claims, including obtaining service treatment records and Social Security Administration disability benefits information. The Veteran should be afforded a VA examination for his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for right and left knee disabilities were granted with separate 10% evaluations due to subluxation. The Veteran's cervical spine disability was also granted a 20% evaluation. However, the Veteran's PTSD claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions from a VA spine examiner and an incomplete examination report regarding hypertension. The Veteran is also required to undergo further examinations in order to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed cervical spine disorder, deviated septum, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded this case for additional development, including a VA examination and scheduling of the Veteran's requested videoconference hearing.

For the time period prior to October 14, 2008, the Veteran's hallux valgus of the right and left feet were not shown to warrant a compensable evaluation.,For the time period from October 14, 2008, the Veteran's hallux valgus of the right foot was manifested by moderate to severe deformity that limited function. The left foot remained noncompensably disabled.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and arthritis could not be presumed to have been incurred in active service.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical and lumbosacral spine is not shown to have had its onset during active service or for several years thereafter, nor is either shown to be due to an injury or other event of any period of active service. The Board denies service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incomplete record from October 1973 to September 1977. The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, arthritis of the neck and lower back, and cervical radiculopathy will be reconsidered after obtaining the missing records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The Veteran's claim to reopen a service connection claim for cervical spine injury residuals is pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain and cervical strain with spondylosis at C4-5 were denied. The RO assigned a 40 percent evaluation for the lumbar strain effective from October 13, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right arm disability, left wrist disability, neck disability, and low back strain prior to February 13, 2008 are all denied. The Veteran was granted a compensable rating (10%) for her left index finger distal interphalangeal joint tendon disruption.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective August 20, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.