Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease with left arm radiculopathy and lumbar spine degenerative joint disease due to a lack of new and material evidence. The claims were previously denied in August 2007, and no new or material evidence was submitted within one year of that decision.

The Board found no evidence of a neck injury or arthritis of the cervical spine during service, and there is insufficient medical evidence to establish a connection between current conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine and remanded it for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) is denied as he does not meet the criteria under VA regulations, specifically failing to have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% and additional disabilities independently ratable at 60%.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during the appellate period from May 30, 2008 to June 22, 2009.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle injury, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left hip disability as the conditions are not shown to be related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are shown to be productive of an overall disability picture manifested by the Veteran being precluded from working at substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background beginning August 12, 2003.

The Veteran's cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities are found to be service-connected, with no effective date provided as the appeal is for a grant of benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for which service connection can be granted, specifically a neck disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, or left shoulder disability. The claims were denied.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine and cervical spine have been rated at 10 percent, with some periods receiving higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including hearing loss and spine conditions, were denied as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support the current diagnoses.,Service connection could not be established for any of the claimed disabilities due to a lack of credible evidence linking them to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical and bilateral shoulder disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and arthritis of these areas was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are currently evaluated at 50 percent, but the Board has remanded to consider an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, as evidenced by his continued education and part-time work.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on current evidence.

The Board has determined that there is no competent and probative evidence linking the Veteran's current right shoulder disability or cervical spine disability to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current neck disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, did not manifest within a year of service separation and is not etiologically related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claims for service connection for back disability, neck disability, bilateral hearing loss, or kidney cancer.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected cervical spine disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and clarifying whether he has undergone surgery on his spinal condition.