Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's right knee condition has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board is remanding this issue for further development. Additionally, earlier effective dates are being sought for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hand and left shoulder disorders, as well as TDIU. The Veteran's cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and left hip disorder were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,For persistent depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder, the Veteran was granted a 50% disability rating but is now seeking an increased rating.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) was denied, and the Board has remanded this issue.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder with anxious stress, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and alcohol use disorder, and cervical strain were also remanded due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and vision disability (claimed as myopia) are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection for dry eye syndrome is granted, with the condition first manifesting during active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is related to his service-connected left shoulder disorder and grants service connection for this condition as secondary.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his low back and neck disabilities, as well as clarification regarding diagnoses of urinary frequency disorder and nerve disorders.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of cervical spine disability, migraine headaches, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy due to a withdrawal request by the Veteran's representative.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of June 21, 2018 for the Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy (neuritis), finding that these conditions were secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is related to service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate their claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of both wrists. However, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, the case is remanded for further action including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral carpel tunnel condition.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and ulnar nerve impingement disorders due to the need for additional medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, left and right hip strains, left and right knee conditions, and tinnitus have been granted. The Veteran is also assigned a 10 percent rating for each of the affected limbs.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, left knee, low back, and right wrist conditions due to a failure of VA to schedule the Veteran for an examination and to secure private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for a lower back disability and remanded the issues of secondary service connection for neck disability as related to the lower back disability, and an increased rating for SMA syndrome. A new VA examination is needed to determine the appropriate diagnostic codes for the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine disability and left shoulder disability due to a duty to assist error. The VA examiner will be asked to provide opinions on whether these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities, including aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate notification and scheduling of VA examinations. The Veteran was not properly notified of scheduled VA examinations, which may have affected his claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability and TDIU prior to April 25, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 3, 2014, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate reasons and bases in the prior decisions, specifically regarding the credibility of the Veteran's subjective symptoms and the adequacy of the examinations conducted.