Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his cervical spine disability was denied, and the claim for TDIU was also denied. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's disability did not prevent him from engaging in sedentary employment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for cervical and lumbar radiculopathy based on new evidence provided by Dr. Dar, which suggests a link between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service records and a need to verify the Veteran's periods of service, including ACDUTRA or ADT and INACDUTRA or IDT. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to her military service, and she has a reasonable doubt in favor of her claim for service connection. The Board also finds that there is a reasonable doubt as to whether her cervical spine disability is related to her military service.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis was rated at 10 percent prior to June 4, 2006 and increased to 20 percent effective June 4, 2006. The increase in rating is based on the VA examination report from November 2008 which showed forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees but not exceeding 30 degrees.

The Veteran's right ankle disorder, claimed as the residuals of a ruptured right Achilles tendon, was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding no evidence of chronic disability related to service. The claim for residuals of a left leg injury was also denied as there is no objective evidence of any residuals.,Service connection was not granted for blurry vision (cataracts) due to lack of medical records linking the condition to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic headaches, which constitutes a complete grant of the benefit sought on appeal related to this issue. As such, no discussion of VA's duties to notify or assist is necessary.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back and cervical spine disabilities are not related to her military service, including a motor vehicle accident during service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain private medical treatment records from the Veteran. The case will be returned to the RO for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for a TDIU have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to clarify his periods of active duty. The Board will address these issues in a subsequent decision.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and lumbar spine arthritis, finding that these conditions are attributable to service. The Veteran's tinnitus is linked to noise exposure during service, while his back disability is associated with a fall from a tank in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities were not related to his military service, as they are chronic conditions first identified many years after discharge.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected due to in-service noise exposure. His cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities are not service connected as they pre-existed service or were not shown within one year of separation.

The Veteran died of an acute myocardial infarction caused by his willful misconduct of abusing prescription medication.,Neither service-connected bronchial asthma with COPD nor any other condition contributed to the cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluation of various disabilities, including hearing loss, back disability, impotence, right shoulder disorder, bladder dysfunction, bowel dysfunction, cervical spine/spinal cord condition, upper extremity disorders, and lower extremity disorders.