Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for cervical spine disorder and lumbar spine disorder have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical strain and a skin condition due to an undiagnosed illness, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is granted with a rating of 20 percent effective October 18, 2013. The issue of service connection for cervical neck strain has been reopened and granted.

The Veteran's service-connected DDD lumbar spine, cervical spine, left and right medial tibial stress syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension are being remanded for further evaluation to determine their current severity.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board granted a TDIU based on the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of cervical spine disability, finding that it is not etiologically related to military service and did not manifest within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine and osteoarthritis of the cervical spine with foraminal stenosis and intervertebral disc syndrome. The other conditions were denied as they are not attributable to service.

The Veteran's claim for VR&E benefits is remanded due to the need for a complete vocational rehabilitation file and additional evaluations. The Veteran also needs to provide evidence of unsuccessful attempts at employment in his chosen fields.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected cervical strain degenerative disc disease (DDD) is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination prior to the January 2019 decision. A new VA examination is required to assess the severity of his condition, including during flare-ups and after repeated use over time.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection are denied as the decisions establishing the current effective dates have already become final.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance of another person, as he is unable to perform daily activities such as dressing, grooming, bathing, feeding himself, and attending to his needs. The Board has granted SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee conditions and a cervical spine condition due to insufficient medical evidence of record. The Veteran is required to be afforded VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether hypertension is aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran's private treatment records are also incomplete, and additional requests for these records must be made.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for irritable bowel syndrome and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine were denied as there is no legal basis for higher schedular evaluations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine injuries is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his periods of active duty and the nature of his disability.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a neck disability. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed to determine if his current disabilities were incurred in or aggravated by active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bipolar disorder. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with intervertebral disc syndrome is denied. The Board finds that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to December 12, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet a combined rating of 60 percent, but the Board has referred the issue to the Director for extraschedular consideration due to evidence suggesting his disabilities impact his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the Board grants a TDIU rating.