Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for a cervical strain, OSA, chronic headaches, low back disability, and TBI to obtain additional evidence and examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea and the increased rating claims for left ear hearing loss and cervical strain were dismissed due to procedural errors or untimeliness.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, as well as denied extensions of time to file a notice of disagreement.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for increased disability ratings, and the Board dismissed the issues.

The Board denied readjudication of the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability as there was no new and material evidence to support reopening the previously denied claim.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's headache, cervical spine, low back, and left shoulder conditions, but granted an effective date of January 20, 2022, for a noncompensable rating for a left shoulder surgical scar.

The Veteran was granted an initial 30 percent disability rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy prior to February 9, 2024 and denied a higher rating from that date. The claim for an initial compensable disability rating for the anterior neck scar was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability or that any of the claimed disabilities were related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, and others, as there was no evidence of a current disability or that any such disability was related to his military service.

The Board granted a separate disability rating of 40 percent for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a separate evaluation of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder, characterized as generalized anxiety disorder with unspecified depressive disorder.

The Board remands the issues of increased disability ratings for right shoulder, cervical spine, lumbosacral strain with IVDS, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as a TDIU claim, for further development.

The appeals for service connection for various conditions are dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left shoulder arthritis, and numbness in the left thumb and index finger.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability to ensure that the Veteran is afforded a VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including hypertension, cervical spine condition, shoulder conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastrointestinal issues, psychiatric disorder, and coccidioidomycosis.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher rating than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome, finding the evidence supports only a 20 percent rating. The Board remanded claims for cervical strain service connection, higher ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and TDIU eligibility due to duty to assist errors and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the claims for throat cancer, neck/cervical spine disorder, psychiatric disorder, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for oropharyngeal cancer, cervical node involvement of cancer, and loss of taste on a direct basis due to Agent Orange exposure. A rating of 60 percent was assigned for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the Veteran's TDIU claim was also granted.