Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2010

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability due to inadequate medical evidence and failure to comply with notification requirements. The Veteran is required to provide additional information or evidence, including records from Champlain Valley Physician's Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York, related to his April 1982 motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, lipoma, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), peripheral neuropathy or burning and tingling sensations in the feet, and arthritis of the left shoulder, left hip, and cervical spine have been denied as not related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims of service connection for back and neck conditions.

The Veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to his active service, and the Board finds that it was not incurred therein.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current hearing loss was caused by service, including significant noise exposure during her military career.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection have been denied. The initial evaluations for the claimed conditions are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, and his left ankle and bilateral carpal tunnel syndromes do not warrant compensable evaluations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claim for a cervical spine disorder and granted an increased rating of 70 percent for his lumbar degenerative disc disease, effective from when the new evidence was received.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the cervical spine and disabilities related to diabetes mellitus. The effective date was not assigned as there were no prior claims or evidence of treatment showing an increase in severity.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA orthopedic examination to determine if the Veteran's current cervical spine condition is related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder are found to be related to his active service.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Veteran was given informed consent for medical procedures in December 1994 and February 1995, which may have caused his cervical spine disorder. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private and VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracic and cervical spine disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to provide proper notice and scheduling for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 20 percent from June 1, 2004. The appeal is denied as the disability does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome or thenar atrophy is related to his service-connected right hand disorder and has granted a separate rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete records and failure to report for a VA examination.