Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for the requested higher disability ratings or service connection.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is rated at 10 percent prior to September 26, 2003 and at 20 percent from that date. The lumbar spine disorder remains rated at 10 percent.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development of his TDIU claim, including consideration of all service-connected disabilities on employability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records, schedule her for a VA examination, and adjudicate the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Spartansburg Regional Hospital and ensuring that all actions are taken in compliance with this remand. The Veteran's claims of service connection for neck and back disabilities will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was on a period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA when he was involved in an automobile accident in March 1996, resulting in cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The evidence supports a finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not caused by the MVA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, including bilateral shoulder, arm/wrist, and forearm/wrist disabilities, cervical spine, lumbar spine, left posterior rib cage disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence to support the claimed disabilities or their relationship to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for osteoarthritis of the cervical spine to include the shoulders and granted the claim, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective February 7, 2002. He also received a separate rating for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity associated with his cervical spine disability and a 10 percent rating for impingement syndrome of the right shoulder.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and examination reports.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a cervical spine disorder, right ear hearing loss for VA purposes, or residuals of bilateral inguinal hernias. As such, the claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative changes of the cervical spine are attributable to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, increased ratings for residuals of right ankle injury and myositis, and an earlier effective date for a rating increase were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date than March 21, 2002, for the award of a 10 percent disability rating for his service-connected residuals of right ankle injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining OPM disability retirement records and a VA examination to determine the combined impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to his death before a decision was made by the Board.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was increased to a 30 percent evaluation effective March 28, 2011. Prior to this date, the disability had been rated as 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis/degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, as well as a chronic back disability other than arthritis/degenerative disc disease. The Veteran's conditions are found to be not related to his military service.