Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his thoracic and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his claim of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being returned to the RO for additional development.

The Veteran's skin cancer and COPD are granted service connection. The effective dates for IBS, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are denied.,Service connection is granted for sleep apnea and a right knee disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was granted a rating of 20 percent prior to July 10, 2008.,A higher rating for the cervical spine condition is denied beginning July 10, 2008.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability received a 10 percent initial rating. A higher rating is denied.,For her left knee disability, a 10 percent rating was granted prior to February 13, 2018. A higher rating is denied beginning from that date.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance due to her back brace is denied as there is no evidence that the brace causes actual wear and tear to her clothing.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is related to his in-service injuries, specifically a fractured jaw and a log fall during basic training.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder, finding that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a relationship to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate rationale in a previous VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disability. The claim will be returned for another addendum opinion from an examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disorders due to the Veteran's in-service physical labor and complaints of pain since active duty.

Service connection granted for headaches and vertigo, but denied for arthritis of the cervical spine, right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder disability, and chest pain.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, neck, and low back disabilities as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for these conditions are not specified in this decision.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a cervical spine disorder, low back disability, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claims are not currently substantiated as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, and right lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and missing medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected mood disorder prevents him from maintaining substantially gainful employment due to its impact on his work and school abilities, as well as his physical disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of October 25, 2011 for gastritis was granted. The appeal regarding service connection for a cervical spine disability and initial rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome from May 23, 2016 is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and cervical spine disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted TDIU based on the benefit of the doubt.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) was granted at a 60% level, but not greater. The appeal is remanded for further evaluation of cervical spine and low back disabilities, COPD, sleep apnea, and hypertension.,An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is also being remanded due to new evidence.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for fibromyalgia as the Veteran withdrew her appeal.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding it was not due to any event or incident of service. The appeal is remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine appropriate disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied extra-schedular ratings for the Veteran's thoracic and cervical spine disabilities, as well as an initial rating greater than 10 percent for her migraine headaches. The decision found that the existing schedular criteria adequately addressed the severity of these conditions.