Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and a psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service disease or injury related to these conditions, and that any current disabilities were not otherwise related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical degenerative disc disease, and the cause of death due to esophageal adenocarcinoma. The claim for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, finding that it was not proximately caused by his service-connected hip disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right plantar fasciitis and a neck disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected cervical strain, tension headaches, and left upper extremity neuropathy, and determining if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder, sleep impairment disorder, or GERD are related to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability and neck disability, but has remanded the issue of service connection for a psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression).

The Board has remanded the case due to VA's failure to obtain relevant private medical records from Obici Hospital and a Naval hospital. The Veteran is requested to provide permission for VA to seek these records.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right hip disabilities due to new evidence received since the July 2011 rating decision. The claims are now remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, back disability, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, bilateral shoulder, knee, hip disabilities, and migraines due to insufficient evidence on whether these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of cervical spine syndrome, basal cell carcinoma of the right lower eyelid, ectropion, and dry eye syndrome are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will need additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to additional development being required, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his service connection claims and exposure to environmental hazards.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back disability, left wrist disability, neck disability, and left shoulder disability. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions is not supported by evidence of record.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine condition, right knee condition, left wrist condition, right shoulder condition, and left shoulder condition. The Veteran's other conditions have been rated based on their current severity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examinations and need for additional evidence. The issues include left upper extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine condition, lumbosacral spine condition, skin condition, GERD, and heart condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and lack of sufficient medical evidence. The Veteran is required to undergo further examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that his current diagnosis and preexisting condition aggravation are related to military service.,Service connection for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spine disability is also granted. The VA examiner opined it was at least as likely as not secondary to the Veteran's cervical spine disability.,The Veteran's left ankle disability has been assigned a maximum available rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no evidence of worsening during the appeal period.,For his bilateral foot disorder and cervical spine disorder, additional VA examination opinions are needed to address the functional impact of the conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a cervical spine disorder was granted with an effective date of April 29, 2014. The Veteran is also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for his cervical strain to include degenerative arthritis. The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for a new opinion regarding a lumbar spine disorder and service connection on a secondary basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, ankle, wrist, elbow, and knee disabilities as well as a neck disability due to additional evidence being added to the record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and requests for additional information.