Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for knee, back, and neck disabilities due to incomplete medical records and the need for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his cervical spine disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip disability, neck disability, headaches, left hand disability, and skin disabilities are not related to service. The claims for these conditions have been denied. The Board has also found that there is no current evidence of a left ankle disability or skin disability during the pendency of the claim. As such, the Veteran's claims for these conditions are being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that there are duty to assist errors and the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cervical spine disability and left shoulder disability must be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including lumbar spine, neck, left and right shoulder disabilities, esophageal conditions, and residuals of colitis, due to presumed herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including low back disability, neck disability, bipolar disorder, type II diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and neuropathies. The Board found no in-service incurrence of these disabilities or evidence linking them to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a 20 percent rating for chronic anterior wedge compression L1 and T1 vertebra and DDD T12-S1 with mild central stenosis and posteriorlisthesis at L4 on L5 was granted effective August 9, 2016.,Effective October 31, 2018, the Veteran received separate ratings for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a depressive disorder and cervical spine disability has been reopened, but the claims are still pending as they were not fully adjudicated. The Board finds that new evidence supports reopening of these claims, but further development is needed to determine if service connection can be granted.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities and his cervical spine disability rated at 10 percent. The increased rating claim for the neck disability was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a cervical spine disability as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine and/or bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate opinions provided by the VA examiner. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted. The claims for service connection and TDIU are remanded.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a cervical spine disability contended to be due to a September 26, 2014 posterior fusion of the cervical spine because the evidence did not establish that VA's care or treatment caused an additional disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is required to undergo medical evaluations for all claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates related to his cervical spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection of low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral foot disabilities are also being remanded as VA examinations were inadequate.

The Veteran's cervical spine, headache, and lumbar spine disabilities have been remanded for further examination and medical opinion.,Service connection is being considered for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including knee and shoulder conditions, as well as a lumbar spine disability. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied service connection for left-hand strain, thoracolumbar spine DDD, cervical spine disorder as secondary to thoracolumbar spine DDD, and bilateral leg disorder as secondary to thoracolumbar spine DDD.,There is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder condition, low back condition, bilateral knee conditions, bilateral plantar fasciitis, sinusitis, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, erectile dysfunction, right ankle condition, and sleep apnea and associated sleeping disorder. The appeals are not about service connection at all.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and right knee conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical records, including VA and private records, and an examination is required to determine if her conditions are related to service.