Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, cervical spine, and bladder conditions due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for cervical spine disabilities involving neurological impairment of the right and left upper extremities have been dismissed due to the appellant, through his authorized representative, requesting withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the submission of new medical evidence since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The issues include service connection for various foot, ankle, back, wrist, skin, and shoulder conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder due to a lack of adequate medical evidence and failure to fulfill the duty to assist. The Veteran is required to provide information and authorization to obtain relevant records, including MRI results from an in-service car accident.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional development, including referral to VA’s Director of Compensation and Pension service for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding that his current conditions are not related to an in-service injury and were not shown as chronic during service or within a presumptive period.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic pain syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and right ankle disorder. Service connection was granted for left upper extremity radiculopathy with an effective date of February 20, 2010. The Veteran's blood disorder claim is remanded.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including his testimony at a hearing. The claims are now pending further examination and opinion from VA medical experts.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was granted a 30 percent rating prior to January 29, 2016. A higher rating is denied in excess of 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disability. The claim will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder, finding that these conditions are caused by his service-connected foot disorders.

The Veteran's initial rating for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was increased to 20 percent, but his claim for a higher rating remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 24, 2017 for the award of service connection for cervical strain with cervical spine degenerative joint disease was denied. The claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for a cervical strain with cervical spine degenerative joint disease was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes, and his service connection claims were granted based on direct evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sinus and neck disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative arthritis, instability, left knee meniscal tear, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis have been rated based on their severity. The Veteran has received separate ratings for his knee conditions and the thoracolumbar spine condition.,The Veteran was granted a 40 percent rating for his thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis effective February 8, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and the need for further medical opinions regarding her hip, back, neck, shoulder, and gynecological conditions.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine, left shoulder, and bilateral foot disabilities. Service connection was also denied for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents.,There is no evidence linking these conditions to service or to any in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for spondylosis of cervical spine and degenerative disc disease of lumbar spine due to VA's failure to provide proper notice regarding obtaining treatment records from chiropractors and primary care physicians. The Veteran is also required to provide completed releases for these providers.