Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to ensure full compliance with VA's duties to notify and assist the Veteran in substantiating his claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck and back disorders did not have onset during his active service, were not related to his service, and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability is related to her service, and thus granted service connection for this condition. The cervical spine disability was not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current cervical spine disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder, and right carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities have been granted increased initial evaluations. The TDIU claim is pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of his claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, but the March 1971 rating decision is not considered to be clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The case was remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected cervical spine condition was denied. The RO assigned a temporary evaluation of 100 percent for convalescence in two periods (June 2, 2004 to August 31, 2004 and November 3, 2004 to December 31, 2004). Effective September 21, 2009, the evaluation was increased to 30 percent.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a right knee injury, residuals of a right ankle strain, and bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues are pending further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, or any link to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by a service-connected disability, specifically his old C1-2 fracture and resulting degenerative changes in his spine. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a cervical spine disability, headaches, right wrist disability, tinnitus, sinus disorder, and bilateral foot disability, were denied as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including severe back pain and limited mobility, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that the criteria for a TDIU rating are met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as some conditions did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to undiagnosed illness or chronic multisymptom illnesses. The Board found that other conditions could be attributed to active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the left knee, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and hands. The claim for service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder is denied.

The Veteran is seeking to reopen a claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability. The RO previously denied the claim in August 1997 due to lack of evidence of a neck injury during service. The case is being remanded to provide adequate notice and complete any necessary development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, a thoracic spine disability (claimed as a right shoulder disability), and tinnitus. The Veteran's hearing loss claim was withdrawn by the Veteran before the decision could be made.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing examination reports and other errors in the previous decision.

The Board denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, erectile dysfunction, a lung disability, and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The appellant's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence or medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and further development of his cervical spine disability.