Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and additional development is required.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial disability rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of this decision.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a cervical spine disorder due to concerns about the adequacy of the opinion regarding whether the service-connected back disability aggravated the cervical spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and temporary total evaluations due to inconsistencies in his cervical spine disability rating, as well as the need for additional evidence regarding physical therapy records. The Veteran is also seeking a higher rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in their current evaluations, and further examination is needed to determine if any of the claimed disabilities are related to active service or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for hiatal hernia and GERD due to new evidence received after the appeal was certified to the Board.,Service connection is denied for all claimed conditions as there is no competent medical evidence linking them to service.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a causal relationship between these disabilities and active service or to his service-connected multiple myeloma.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, finding that the current condition was not incurred or aggravated by service and did not manifest within one year of separation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service. The VA is directed to provide new examinations and obtain addendum opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for cervical spine disability and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The Board also found no continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include kidney condition, low back disability, neck disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine conditions, finding that these conditions are directly related to his active-duty service.

The Board has restored the Veteran's ratings for cervical arthritis and spondylosis L5-S1, finding that the reductions were improper due to lack of proper procedural requirements.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities are related to service, granting their claims for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran is service-connected for multiple disabilities, including PTSD, cervical and lumbar spine conditions, and musculoskeletal issues. The Board found that the combination of these disabilities renders him unemployable but not solely due to any single disability. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's neck disability and associated left upper extremity radiculopathy are currently rated at 20 percent, effective October 8, 2021. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for a bilateral eye disability due to her withdrawal of the appeal. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further development and examination.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected headaches and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine. The issues regarding homonymous quadrantanopsia, headaches, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine are remanded.