Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and cervical strain due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous pain since service. The cases are being sent back for new VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and SMC have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports, need for additional evidence, and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has found that additional remand is required due to the lack of an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disability and the need for VA treatment records and SSA records.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities, including psoriatic arthritis, kidney disorder, left shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right ankle disability. The issues were withdrawn by the Veteran through his attorney.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for entitlement to higher ratings and earlier effective dates for back disability, neck disability, and headache disability.,The appeal of radiculopathy, left upper extremity, is granted with an effective date of June 4, 2014.

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

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for a left shoulder disorder and increased evaluations for cervical spine strain, right knee torn meniscus, right knee strain with internal derangement, limited extension in the right knee, and temporary total disability evaluation due to surgery for a left shoulder disorder. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for neck, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to incomplete compliance with a previous remand. The Veteran's in-service jeep accident is considered established.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to his active military service and, if so, whether it is secondary to his service-connected right ankle or lower back disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for low back and neck disabilities, but denied the Veteran's claims for PTSD and left knee disability due to lack of timely filing of a substantive appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his sleep apnea, as well as whether obesity caused or aggravated by these disabilities is a substantial factor in causing sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction and an increased rating for cervical spine disability. The claim for service connection for a right lower extremity neurological disability and left lower extremity neurological disability was remanded.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are all found to be related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for a respiratory disability including recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis as it began during active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further medical examination. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being reviewed again with new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to outstanding service treatment records not being obtained. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss, cervical strain, PTSD, and a right lower extremity sciatic nerve disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various orthopedic and ocular conditions, as well as COPD or other pulmonary disability. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct link to service.

The Board has remanded the case for compliance with the February 2019 Remand directives, including readjudicating the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for a cervical spine disability, entitlement to a higher level of SMC, and entitlement to an earlier effective date for SMC.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, including radiculopathy. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete documentation of his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1982 until his retirement in 2013, with multiple periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA.