Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate is granted, effective October 22, 2013. The decision is based on his service-connected psychiatric disability and other disabilities reaching a combined total of 60 percent or greater.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for residuals of a back injury was denied, as the new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,His petition to reopen his claim for right arm condition was granted, as the new evidence related to an unestablished fact (the etiology of the right arm condition) and raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar residuals of SFW, cervical arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral hip disorder, bilateral wrist/arm disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, and cervical spine disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim regarding bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for cervical strain was denied, and his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of plantar fasciitis of the left foot is granted. The Veteran's cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS is rated at 30 percent beginning on February 16, 2018.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims related to Bell’s palsy, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar strain, hypertension, and PTSD with major depressive episode. The Veteran's preexisting conditions are being evaluated for any permanent worsening during his periods of service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right shoulder disabilities due to pain stemming from in-service injuries. The case requires further examination to determine if these conditions are related to her military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has remanded multiple issues for further development, including service connection claims and rating determinations. The Veteran's claims are being returned to the AOJ for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions and potential evidence of worsening PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that his current diagnoses are causally related to his time in service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining in-patient records from a hospitalization during service, arranging for examinations by appropriate clinicians to determine the likely etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension, and addressing the theory of secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for right hip disability, left hip disability, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, cervical degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and other conditions. The VA is instructed to obtain the Veteran's SSA records.

The Board denied service connection for thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period or were otherwise etiologically related to his in-service injuries.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a vocational assessment and VA examinations of his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 10 percent prior to October 15, 2019 and increased to 30 percent from that date. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are to be evaluated further.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for back injuries and ocular conditions, as well as his claim for a higher rating for his right shoulder disability. The Veteran is required to provide authorization forms for any private medical records related to these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in the previous decision.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings need more evidence, specifically medical records from his VA treatment at West Haven VAMC.