Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided were not in compliance with previous remand directives, and thus the claims for service connection are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to its inextricability with the ongoing increased rating claims under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The initial evaluations for cervical spine stenosis and left radiculopathy of C5-6 roots are also on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 40 percent for cervical spine arthritis with history of IVDS is denied. The disability has been manifested by complaints of pain and stiffness, to include during flare-ups, and objective evidence of limited motion, painful motion, and tenderness on palpation.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations. The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities are being reviewed to determine if they warrant higher ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, residuals of right shoulder injury, and residuals of left shoulder injury. The Veteran's conditions are deemed to have been incurred during her period of honorable active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating increases are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse was granted a 100% evaluation effective June 1, 2015.,Prior to that date, the Veteran's PTSD was rated at 70%, and he was denied TDIU prior to January 19, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a nexus to his period of active service.,Service connection was also denied for left ankle disability and right ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was granted with an effective date of January 29, 2013. This decision is based on the underlying increased rating claims for wrist and neck disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss. The Board found that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of contact with the Veteran regarding his cervical spine disability prior to April 2, 2014. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and re-adjudication due to procedural issues, including the need to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) on the claims involving the left ankle disorder, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and SMC based on loss of use of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for updated examinations to assess his thoracic degenerative disc disease, bilateral flatfoot disability, and cervical spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an examination for the cervical spine disorder, and requests that a VA examiner provide opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development due to incomplete processing of evidence, and the Veteran's cervical spine disability is being reviewed again with additional information.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional medical inquiry due to incomplete addressing of previous directives.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the submission of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his chronic cervical sprain with mild bilateral facet arthropathy at C5-6 was granted prior to February 17, 2015. The effective date is not specified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his neck disability, finding that there was no medical evidence establishing a correlation between his cervical spine condition and his service-connected lumbosacral strain. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support direct or presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical spine and back disabilities, as well as a claim for TDIU. The appeals are now before the RO for further development.