Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder may be related to service and remands the case for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his cervical spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to incorrect characterization of issues, changes in contact information, and scheduling errors. The Veteran is seeking service connection for an allergy to penicillin and increased ratings for various disabilities.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the cause of death (migraine headaches) is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and sinusitis have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The issues of service connection for these conditions are now on appeal.,Service connection is denied for a cervical spine disorder as there is no chronic in-service injury or disease that caused the current disability.

The Board denied service connection for chronic cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as headaches and numbness in the legs. The Veteran's claims were based on his assertions of continuity of symptoms since service.,The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current conditions to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to obtain VA and private treatment records, including from Southern Maine Health. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the neck disability rating claim.

The Veteran's left ankle condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and her claim of an earlier effective date is dismissed.,The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the cervical spine condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete records and the need for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran's military service included parachute jumps which may be relevant.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, as they are inextricably intertwined with his cervical spine disability claim.,These issues include secondary service connection for cervical spine disability, OSA, scar of the right anterior base of neck, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a neck fracture, chronic cervical spine arthralgias, and degenerative disc disease at C4-C5 with left C6 nerve root involvement. The Veteran's in-service injury was not shown to be related to his current conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating from March 20, 2015 for cervical spine degenerative disc disease is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of whether a higher rating was warranted from March 20, 2014 to March 20, 2015.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims for service connection can be decided. The Veteran's claims are being remanded to allow for consideration of all evidence, including VA treatment records.

The Board has found that further remand is required due to the need for VA examinations and retrieval of VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition, bilateral knee condition, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension are all being remanded.

The Board has found that additional development is required before the Veteran's claims for neck, right hand, and back disabilities can be decided. The case is being remanded to obtain Army Reserve records from specific locations and to request medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and its relationship to service, his service-connected conditions, or any other relevant factors. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine/neck, and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's cervical spine disability, including a higher rating for cervical strain with degenerative joint disease and radiculopathy of both upper extremities. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability from these other claims.