Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims due to a duty to assist error, requiring VA to obtain relevant private treatment records from identified sources.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper and lower cervical radiculopathy as secondary to neck and back disabilities, respectively, should be remanded due to a duty to assist error in the February 2019 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected cervical strain condition is being remanded due to the need for additional records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, hypertension, and GERD are currently rated based on their individual service-connected conditions. The Board has remanded these issues for further development.,A TDIU is granted but subject to the law and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine with cervical disc bulge, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to a motor vehicle accident during active service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury, and cervical spine disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions and missing service records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder condition, finding that it is not etiologically related to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine DDD/DDD as it was not secondary to a service-connected condition and there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury and that any current condition is more likely due to a workplace incident in 2003.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a cervical spine disorder and headaches due to inadequate development in previous remands. The claims are being returned for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the cervical spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding his reported in-service injuries and self-medication.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his neck disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to active duty service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding no probative medical evidence that the Veteran's current neck pain was proximately due to or related to his in-service traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, hypertension, and memory loss (undiagnosed illness) have been reopened. The Board has remanded these issues due to the need for further development.,Service connection for hip disabilities, knee disabilities, foot disabilities, and thyroid disability are not granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines and granted a TDIU based on her service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran's headaches were not incurred in or due to her time in service, nor are they proximately due to any of her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has found that there are insufficient medical records to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities and thus remands for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to restore a 20 percent rating for her cervical spine radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, effective May 8, 2019. The reduction was proper as there was an improvement in her disability and she did not have any sensory deficits or functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for complex partial seizure disorder with osteoporosis, service connection for a cervical spine disability, and TDIU are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's IHD, cervical spine degenerative arthritis and associated neck scars, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU were granted effective January 27, 2017.,SMC at the housebound rate was not granted due to lack of additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60% or more.