Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the appellant's claimed conditions are not service-connected, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cervical spine disability and residuals of a back injury, to include left leg radiculopathy, did not have their onset during active service or within one year following separation from active duty. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the revised criteria. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development of his employment history. The TDIU issue will be reviewed by the Under Secretary for Benefits or Director of Compensation and Pension Service to determine if an extra-schedular evaluation is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical spine disability. The issue of an increased rating for right cervical radiculopathy will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and evidence are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical spine degenerative disc disease. The evidence did not support a finding that her current conditions were related to her military service.

The Veteran's current cervical spine disability is related to service, and a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of his condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck and low back disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of arthritis in areas other than the cervical spine and denied service connection for non-cervical spine osteoarthritis for accrued benefits purposes.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for a VA examination. The issues are whether he should receive an increased rating for his cervical spine disability and whether new evidence has been submitted to reopen his claim for service connection of a low back disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The appellant's claim of service connection for cervical spine disorder is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition in sound condition at entry into service, nor any increase in disability during service. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disability and cervical spine disability, including consideration of his in-service exposure to asbestos and injuries sustained during active duty. The Veteran will be provided an opportunity to submit any relevant records from West Virginia Workers' Compensation Fund and Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that the September 2010 VA examination is inadequate for adjudicating the Veteran's claims and a remand is required to obtain a supplemental opinion. Additionally, efforts are needed to obtain treatment records from Heartland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a head injury, including cervical degenerative disc disease, is granted as the evidence supports that his current condition is related to his in-service head injury.

The Veteran's initial ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have been granted, but the specific details of the ratings are not provided in the decision summary.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of her cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examinations. The issues of entitlement to initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for post-operative left hip disorder, left knee disorder, scar from cervical spine surgery, right ear hearing loss, and sleep apnea are the main points of concern.