Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of July 18, 2016, for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for cervical spine disorder is granted.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for OSA, neck disability, right shoulder disability, and diabetes due to new and relevant evidence. The left shoulder disability claim is denied as no new and relevant evidence was received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, foot disability (drop foot), hand disability (numbness in the hand), neck disability, right knee disability, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied. The Board has remanded the claims of eye disability and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including updated VA treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's neck disorder and left thumb disorder were denied service connection as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period.,An initial rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis is denied, but an earlier effective date of September 26, 2022, for the award of service connection is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition and left hip condition due to the lack of VA examinations addressing these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities due to inadequate development in prior VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, neck disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records, including National Guard records from 2006-2012, and a VA examination must be conducted.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a neck disability, including as secondary to a service-connected left-hand disability. The decision is based on incomplete VA medical records and potential outstanding private treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip disability, right hip disability, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to her military service.,A reduction in the rating for migraine headaches from 10 percent to noncompensable was upheld as supported by recent medical examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 20, 2021. The TDIU was granted as of August 20, 2021, and the Board found that the Veteran had been unable to secure and maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since November 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment from at least August 1, 2014, and the Board granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with spinal stenosis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis. The claims are being remanded due to a lack of contemporaneous medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant as they do not result in anatomical loss, blindness, or significant functional impairment that would qualify under the applicable regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders are not service-connected, but have remanded for further development to address these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic joint pain disability of the cervical spine to include arthritis, and to include as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI) is being remanded due to insufficient reasons and bases in the Board's January 2023 decision. The matter was previously remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for fatigue, described as drowsiness, secondary to his service-connected neck, back, and left leg disabilities is granted.,The Board has inferred a claim for extraschedular ratings for both cervical spine arthritis and residuals of left tibia fracture.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, right wrist and left wrist disabilities, right hand and left hand disabilities, cervical spine disability, and spinal meningitis. The appeals are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including a potential failure to properly deliver the June 2023 Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) to the appellant and his representative. The SSOCs need to be re-delivered with correct address information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical cancer and hysterectomy as secondary to cervical cancer have been granted. The claim of increased rating for acne has been dismissed.