Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability as there is no evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event and no medical opinion linking the current condition to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding private treatment records and an addendum opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities, as well as an earlier effective date for TDIU benefits.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, chronic cervical spine pain, chronic thoracic spine pain, and traumatic brain injury.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis to obtain further medical evidence regarding its etiology.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical disorder and a low back disorder, both diagnosed as degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease, and degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a total disability rating from August 22, 2019, and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from September 30, 2019. The Veteran is also granted individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities from December 1, 2013.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for thoracolumbar spine strain and cervical spine degenerative disc disease, as they were not filed within one year of the initial denial decisions.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and remanded claims for other disabilities due to a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability and denied increased ratings for allergic rhinitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), lumbar strain, and cervical strain. A 50 percent rating was granted for migraines from January 11, 2021.

The Board granted a 70 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected mild neurocognitive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, somatic symptoms disorder with predominant pain, and TBI but remanded other issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy of both upper extremities, as well as remanding two new claims.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD, cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities. A 30 percent rating was also granted for vertigo associated with TBI.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, a separate rating for occipital nerve impingement associated with cervical spine degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and GERD due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of multiple joint pain and disabilities to correct an error by the AOJ, satisfy its duty to assist under 38 U.S.C. § 5103A, and obtain additional VA examinations and medical nexus opinions.

The Board granted service connection for chronic kidney disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected leukemia and remanded several other claims for further development.

The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, finding the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's chronic headaches had their onset in service. The other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the right knee disability and a separate 20 percent rating for instability, while denying an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied an increased rating for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and PTSD while granting a higher initial disability rating for radiculopathy in the right upper extremity.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 16, 2020, for the awards of service connection for cervical strain and left upper extremity radiculopathy, but denied earlier effective dates for other lower extremity conditions.