Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders to address pre-decisional errors, including proper verification of all periods of service and obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical disability and cervical scar due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an adequate VA examination.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and ratings for various conditions, but granted a 40% rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy from July 22, 2008, and left lower extremity radiculopathy from June 15, 2008.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain, thoracic strain, right shoulder strain, benign positional vertigo, and disability manifested by shortness of breath as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board is remanding all issues for development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failure to obtain relevant service and VA treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for a mental health disability, chronic headaches, and a low back disability. It also granted increased ratings for certain conditions but denied others.

The Board remands the claim for a neck disability to obtain an adequate VA examination and address all theories of entitlement raised by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a disability of the cervical spine, as well as a temporary total rating based on treatment necessitating convalescence.

The Board granted an effective date of November 8, 2020, for the award of service connection for various disabilities including cervical spine stenosis, degenerative arthritis, IVDS status post fusion surgery with residuals, right and left shoulder strains and degenerative arthritis status post joint replacement with residuals, right and left knee strains and degenerative arthritis status post joint replacement with residuals, left hip degenerative arthritis, limitation of extension of the right thigh, limitation of abduction of the right thigh, limitation of extension of the left thigh, and limitation of abduction of the left thigh.

The Board granted the readjudication of the claim for shaving issues/razor bumps and denied service connection for various other conditions, including a neck condition, left shoulder condition, GERD, headaches, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity nerve condition, sleep apnea, urinary frequency, erectile dysfunction, asthma, PTSD, as well as remanding claims for a low back disability, right foot disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's participation in a toxic exposure risk activity during his service in Afghanistan, as required by the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act).

The Board granted an earlier effective date of January 14, 2020 for a grant of service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical spine, left hip, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities due to duty to assist errors.

The appeal for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus was dismissed, and the claim for an initial disability rating higher than 0 percent for hearing loss was denied. Several claims for service connection were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and cervical spine conditions as well as a TDIU due to the need for VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability as secondary to the service-connected degenerative arthritis of the spine and increased initial disability evaluations of 20 percent, but not more, for left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy and right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy.

The veteran withdrew the appeal concerning multiple issues, including PTSD, pes planus, cervical strain and degenerative arthritis, and posttraumatic headaches.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left shoulder disabilities due to the Veteran's refusal to attend VA examinations. The claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral foot conditions, and bronchitis were remanded.