Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and neck disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for a disorder of the left hand and sleep apnea due to inadequate September 2016 VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding that it is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right lung carcinoid tumor with pneumonectomy. The lung disability claim remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the reopening of a service connection claim for a cervical spine disability, but remanded it for further development and examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his claims through his representative in a July 2019 Appeals Satisfaction Notice.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity due to insufficient rationale in previous VA examination reports. The Veteran's lay statements are considered along with medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date prior to March 8, 2012 for a rating in excess of 0 percent for lumbar strain and cervical strain. The earliest effective date that the Veteran is entitled to as a matter of law is March 8, 2012.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, effective date not specified.

The Board has decided that service connection for hypertension is denied, and the cervical disc disease case is remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, finding that entitlement to this benefit arose on January 24, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for neck disability, clavicle disability, hypertension, low back disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was aggravated by a car accident during active service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of his left upper extremity radiculopathy, which is secondary to degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine with spinal stenosis, has been granted. The effective date is July 23, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not incurred in or related to her military service. The evidence showed no in-service injury and post-service incidents were more likely responsible for the current condition.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for neck disability, left kidney removal, and right knee disability were denied as no new and material evidence was received.,The request to reopen a claim for service connection for left knee disability was granted due to the submission of new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder, and left knee disabilities. Service connection was denied for a cervical spine disability due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of higher ratings for his cervical spine disability and right upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made it impossible for him to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective November 15, 2013.