Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right eye injury, left shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, and right ankle disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.,Nonservice-connected pension benefits are also being remanded.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary for further development and adjudication of the Veteran's claims, including a new VA examination to assess his cervical spine disability and reconsideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance and/or due to being housebound, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Veteran's ED and DDD of the cervical spine were granted service connection. The Veteran was also awarded a disability rating of 20 percent for his DDD of the cervical spine.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions and new evidence. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam, but his GIST does not meet the definition of a soft tissue sarcoma.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was not granted an increased rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 16, 2012. The issue of a higher rating for the right upper extremity disability is still pending and will be remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine disorder, low back disorder, and right ankle disorder due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to TDIU prior to July 12, 2018 due to a lack of consideration of the side effects of the Veteran's medications on his employability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck/cervical spine disability and sinusitis, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and readjudication due to procedural errors, lack of proper examinations, and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a cervical spine disability as there is insufficient evidence to determine if it is related to service. Additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling an addendum medical opinion, is required.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraine including migraine variants with post-concussion headache was denied as the current 50 percent rating is the schedular maximum.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus was denied as the current 10 percent rating is the schedular maximum.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease with stenosis, but the issues of temporary total rating for July 11, 2013 left knee surgery and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine spondylosis and cervical spine degenerative arthritis, finding that these conditions are related to a motor vehicle accident during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine conditions, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand several cases for further development, including obtaining medical records from Froedert Memorial Hospital and clarifying the Veteran's claims regarding sexual harassment allegations and PTSD. The effective dates of certain benefits are also being reconsidered.

The Veteran's upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and cervical spine degenerative disc disease disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation due to recent assertions of increased severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck, left knee, right knee, right ankle, and left hip disabilities due to issues with the qualifications of the medical examiner and insufficient evidence regarding the current status of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran was insane at the time of misconduct leading to his bad conduct discharge, thus removing any statutory or regulatory bar to VA benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating due to failure to appear for VA examinations. The case is returned to the AOJ for further action.