Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, cervical spine disability, and dizziness/peripheral vestibular disorder due to incomplete medical opinions and outstanding records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed disabilities. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records and undergo further examinations.

The Board has added new medical evidence to the record and has decided that some of the Veteran's claims for service connection need to be reconsidered. The issues have been remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including higher staged initial ratings for cervical spine and thoracic discogenic disease, as well as claims of service connection for bilateral hip, ankle, knee, upper extremity, and lower extremity disabilities. The remand also includes a request for additional opinions on whether these conditions are secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided that additional evidence is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, and therefore remands the case for further development.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various knee, ankle, and shoulder conditions as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and his cervical spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent. Both disabilities are denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, resulting in a current 40 percent evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of all submitted medical literature in the previous VA addendum opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability. The claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted since the previous denial.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for lower back condition, numbness in upper extremities, neck pain, muscle fatigue and stiffness, cervical radiculopathy (carpal tunnel syndrome), left knee condition, right knee condition, and bilateral foot pain have been dismissed.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for a headache disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and insomnia.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence on file for a decision, and an examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's neck disability is related to his service-connected lower back disability or if it was aggravated by it.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral knee DJD, cervical spine DDD, and a right foot condition (hallux valgus) are not related to service. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from July 1, 2011. The Board found that entitlement to TDIU is warranted for this period but remanded the issue of prior to July 1, 2011.

The Board has found that additional evidence was submitted and remanded the cases for further review. The issues of service connection have been returned to the AOJ for consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and a compensable rating for hemorrhoids are remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of periods of active duty, examination by an appropriately qualified examiner regarding the left ankle disability, and obtaining private treatment records from Brandon Tricare Clinic.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for periodontal gum disease and hepatitis A have been denied. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for his claimed psychiatric, heart, sleep apnea, neck, upper extremity radiculopathy, head injury residuals, skin disorder, ankle, or knee disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, right knee disability, and circulatory disability. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations.,The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities, which include right ankle and fibula traumatic arthritis, PTSD with TBI, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, cervical spine spondylosis, flexor tendonitis of the wrists, and disc bulges of the thoracolumbar spine. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded due to new evidence submitted since the last denial. The claims for increased rating and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's cervical strain with degenerative arthritis is granted a 20 percent rating, effective June 29, 2018. The Veteran's initial increased rating claim for headaches remains on appeal.