Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, left upper extremity (claimed as left shoulder) disability, headache disability/migraines, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Veteran's disabilities were not found to be related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the October 2021 rating decision and the need for updated court findings. The Veteran's disability claims are also being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for a left ankle condition, cervical spine DJD (neck condition), and an increase rating for right ankle disability due to new evidence received since the March 2016 rating decision.

The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted by the agency of original jurisdiction. The claims for other conditions have been remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection and rating for various disabilities. The Veteran's claims are pending further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and higher ratings for cervical spine and lumbosacral spine arthritis are remanded.

The Board has determined that there is at least a 50% chance (equipoise) that the Veteran's cervical spine and back disorders are related to his military service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for cervical spine degenerative joint disease was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the OSA had its onset in service.

The appeal is dismissed for the increased rating claims of right knee osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, status post fracture of the right ankle, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine osteoarthritis, right foot radiculopathy, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeals are remanded for further action on the remaining issues.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ratings for radiculopathy of the lower extremities and degenerative arthritis with scoliosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The Veteran is also being asked to provide additional evidence or releases for any outstanding VA records.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a neck condition due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and etiology.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to February 29, 2012.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings for degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine and cervicalgia have been withdrawn, resulting in their dismissal.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for neck and low back disabilities, as well as a bilateral shoulder disability (now claimed as strain or osteoarthritis) secondary to these conditions.,The Veteran's neck and low back disabilities have been rated based on their severity under VA guidelines.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The VA examiner did not adequately address the Veteran's lay contentions about in-service injuries. A new examination is needed.

The Veteran's left shoulder DJD was granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent prior to December 4, 2019. A higher rating is denied from that date forward. The Veteran's cervical spine DJD is not addressed in the decision.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, right arm carpal tunnel syndrome, left inguinal hernia, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as the evidence does not show that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinions provided are inadequate, as they did not address whether the Veteran's cervical spine arthritis was caused by in-service Agent Orange exposure or aviation fuel exposure. The case is therefore remanded for further development.