Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability, but remanded the claims for back, neck, left foot, right foot, and left arm disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for service connection for various other disorders, including left wrist, right knee, left knee, cervical spine, upper extremity neurological, thoracolumbar spine, left foot, right foot, left ankle, and right ankle disorders.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine condition to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing all reasonably raised theories of service connection.

The Board granted an effective date of September 12, 2017, but no earlier, for the award of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spine degenerative disc disease and denied all other claims.

The Board denied service connection for contact dermatitis and tinnitus, but remanded claims for cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, and ED as secondary to other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder.

The Board remands the issue of an increased rating for the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability to correct a duty to assist error related to the consideration of the beneficial effects of pain medication on the Veteran's functional impairment.

The Board granted service connection for a strained neck, to include cervical strain degenerative disc disease based on the evidence showing chronicity of symptoms and an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and lumbar spinal stenosis, finding that these conditions had their onset during the Veteran's active duty.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine condition and bilateral upper extremity cervical radiculopathy as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or related to the Veteran's active military service.

The appeal for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed, and the Veteran's claim for TDIU has been granted in full with an effective date of May 1, 2020.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine with arm and leg numbness, and a cervical spine/neck condition based on in-service acoustic trauma and exposure to high G-forces during fighter aviation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical and lumbar spine disability, to include as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of current disabilities or functional impairment.

The Board granted an effective date of August 15, 2016, for the award of a 30 percent rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy and granted service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy with an effective date of July 29, 2016. The appeal was denied for increased ratings in several conditions.

The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy, in excess of 20 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy, and in excess of 10 percent for a cervical spine disability to schedule the Veteran for a medical examination.

The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for left upper extremity radiculopathy, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for a cervical spine disability to schedule the Veteran for a medical examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for cervical pannus resulting in incomplete quadriplegia, finding no evidence that VA fault or an unforeseeable event caused additional disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, arthritis (other than of the back or neck), and a neck disability to obtain additional medical opinions addressing secondary service connection theories.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include an anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent from September 1, 2021, due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include an anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, is rated at 70 percent from September 1, 2021, but no more.