Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinions regarding his cervical spine, lumbar spine, left upper extremity, and acquired psychiatric disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right knee disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, as well as right and left sciatic nerve disabilities, both claimed to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability.,There is no direct evidence linking the Veteran’s current lumbar or sciatic nerve conditions to his military service. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions are not related to his service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to conflicting evidence regarding his service-connected disabilities. The issues include lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, neck disability, upper and lower extremity radiculopathies, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to his failure to appear for scheduled examinations and VA attempts to contact him. The issues include cervical spine disability, CVA/TBI with headaches, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, eye/cataracts disability, skin disability, lung disability, and kidney disability.

The Veteran's cervical strain is granted a 20 percent disability rating from August 21, 2010 to November 11, 2019. The Board found that the evidence supports this higher rating based on muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as reversed lordosis. Other issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is related to service. The Veteran and his buddies reported shoulder and elbow issues during service, which may suggest an upper extremity neurological condition that could be indicative of a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral pes planus, tonsil condition, and headaches are remanded due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The VA is directed to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back strain, cervical spine disability, and left clavicle fracture due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is also being asked to provide information about his employment history and tax returns.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a broken nose (also claimed as fall off 7 ton) has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine arthritis (claimed as neck pain) is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC claims for his service-connected low back, neck, and psychiatric disabilities prior to June 3, 2011 were denied as the evidence did not show that he was unemployable due to these conditions alone.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck, collarbone, right shoulder, and left knee disabilities due to the cumulative impact of his duties as a gunnery mate during active duty. The Veteran reported continuous pain since service and indicated that this pain limits his functional ability.

The Board has determined that the issues of increased ratings for cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as upper extremity radiculopathy, are part and parcel of the Veteran's claims. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted. The cervical spine claim is remanded due to inadequate development.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the service connection for a cervical spine disability, and as such, the issue is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity due to inadequate examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder trapezius strain, cervical strain with degenerative joint disease (claimed as neck condition), left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy have been granted. The effective dates are set at April 14, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and a need for a new VA examination addressing functional loss during flare-ups. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a cervical strain disability is now pending again.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, neck disability, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability. However, it denied these claims as there is no evidence linking any of these conditions to service.