Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn and are dismissed. The Board has also remanded several issues due to the need for further development.

The Board has remanded multiple service connection claims for various disabilities, including heart disability, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, stroke, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, kidney disease, left knee disability, liver disease, neck disability, radiculopathy, right and left lower extremities, skin disability with trophic changes, and tinnitus. The claims are remanded due to the need for updated medical records and VA examinations.

The Board has determined that further remand is necessary to obtain adequate nexus opinions for the Veteran's cervical spine, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities. The VA examiner failed to provide sufficient rationale in their previous opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and headache disorder, including consideration of private x-rays from 1990 and chiropractic records. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraines, PTSD, TBI residuals, uterine leiomyoma with hysterectomy, cervical strain, thoracolumbar strain, and tinnitus, prevented her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 29, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inaccuracies in the factual basis of previous opinions and the need for clarification. The Veteran is requested to provide authorizations for any private medical records, and VA will obtain updated treatment records.

Service connection for a right ankle disability and nerve damage, including bilateral CTS, is granted.,Service connection for a neck disability is denied.,Service connection for a right hip disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hand disabilities remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability (claimed as arthritis) remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability (claimed as arthritis) remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae remains pending.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected right ankle strain remains pending.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination and incomplete record. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings for his cervical spine and right upper extremity radiculopathy are now pending.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for multiple conditions, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, bipolar disorder, and others. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result of the withdrawal.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the disabilities and active military service.,There is no medical or other competent evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical spine disability, upper extremity radiculopathies, to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her cervical spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the addition of relevant VA evidence without a waiver of AOJ consideration.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of December 31, 2016 for the award of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU). This decision is based on the fact that he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities as of December 31, 2016.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep disability, bilateral knee disability, cervical spine disability, and left hand disability due to insufficient opinions regarding their relationship to his service-connected disabilities. The VA is required to obtain additional treatment records and provide adequate medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, cervical spine disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and examination, including investigating his allegations of compelled in-service NSAID use and seeking medical care.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by cirrhosis, which is service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause his death but rather contributed to it.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease due to lack of evidence supporting herbicide exposure in Thailand. Service connection was granted for cervical and lumbar spine conditions, but the appeal is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine disorder and radiculopathy of the upper extremities have been denied due to her failure to attend scheduled VA examinations without providing good cause.