Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for readjudication based on new and relevant evidence received since previous denials.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, but granted service connection for IBS under PACT Act provisions and remanded other claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis and service connection for cervical spine, left upper extremity, right upper extremity, and chronic sinusitis disorders.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities resulted in the need for aid and attendance as he requires care or assistance on a regular basis to feed himself, keep himself clean and presentable and protect himself from the hazards or dangers inherent in his daily environment.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, as well as the claim for TDIU, to provide further development of evidence.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected Parkinsonism, as it meets the criteria for such benefits.

The Veteran's service connection for right foot arthritis, degenerative (claimed as tendonitis), was granted for the period prior to July 29, 2023. Other claims were remanded.

The Board remands the matter for extraschedular referral of the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 14, 2019, and readjudication considering all evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including the neck, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and feet, as there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and a TDIU due to further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, verifying in-service asbestos exposure, and providing an addendum opinion regarding OSA.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA medical opinion to determine the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, as the previous examination was found inadequate.

The appeal for service connection and rating of the veteran's conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, knee, spine, shoulder, and foot issues, has been withdrawn and dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings to ensure that all relevant evidence is considered, including new VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, GERD, and sleep apnea, while denying service connection for hearing loss. The Veteran was also granted increased ratings of 50 percent and 30 percent for migraine (tension) headaches and cervical strain (claimed as cervical spine pain), respectively.

The appeal of the proposed action to reduce the disability ratings for neck strain with degenerative disc disease and cervical spondylosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy are dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hysterectomy, neck disability, loss of female sexual arousal, short term memory loss, sciatic nerve condition, right lower extremity and sciatic nerve condition, left lower extremity due to an inadequate VA medical examination.

The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, specifically to provide the veteran with adequate VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a March 2017 ankle surgery, as well as service connection for cervical spinal stenosis as secondary to complex regional pain syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, but denied increased ratings for the Veteran's foot, cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, psychiatric disorder, and other conditions.