Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right shoulder disability, neck disability, and hypertension due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are related to his service, specifically his active duty as a Crew Chief, In-Flight Refueling Specialist (boom operator), and Aircraft Loadmaster. The appeal is being remanded for further examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset of these conditions in or related to service. The Veteran is instructed to provide more detail on what is wrong with the April 2021 VA examiner's opinion, and an updated examination will be ordered.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee condition, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions in previous VA examinations. The case is now pending again for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's joint pain and his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right tibia stress fracture. A new VA examination is needed to clarify these issues.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension is dismissed. The Veteran's bilateral eye condition, including keratoconus and glaucoma, is granted. The claim for an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating is denied as a matter of law. The claims for arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral pes planus are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The right eye disability claim is pending, while the other issues are on hold until further examination can be conducted.

The Board denied an effective date prior to March 22, 2020, for the award of service connection for a neck disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a cervical spine disorder before the decision was made.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional development. The Veteran's claims include left shoulder, cervical spine, ankle, knee, foot, thigh, and back conditions related to her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, but has remanded his claim for cervical spine disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was granted a rating of 30 percent for chronic cystitis, traumatic arthritis of the cervical spine, and bilateral hearing loss since November 18, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for left elbow, right elbow, cervical spine, left wrist, right wrist, left knee, left ankle, and right ankle conditions all of which are related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to obtain VA treatment records from before March 9, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a clinical opinion regarding the etiology of his disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection on a secondary basis for pulmonary embolism and its residuals, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and cervical spine disorder. The Veteran's conditions are all related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with thoracic spine strain is denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent.,For the period prior to March 17, 2023, the Veteran's cervical spine disability is denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted a 40 percent rating.