Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records from private providers. A VA examination will also be conducted to determine the nature and etiology of his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a cervical spine disability in service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities, as well as to address the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of clear and unmistakable error in various rating decisions are mixed, with some issues being granted and others denied. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a variety of conditions including flatfeet/pes planus, neck muscle strain, wrist disorders, arthritis, cervical spine disorder, carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral vascular disease, asthma, rhinitis, sleep apnea, conjunctivitis, hyperlipidemia, and sinusitis.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of these claims as he is no longer alive.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining updated treatment records. The case will also be reviewed to determine if entitlement to TDIU should be granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and right foot disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for a combined 100 percent disability rating, which was granted on September 29, 2006. The appeal is currently in remand status due to unresolved issues regarding the July 1985 decision and clarification of his April 2008 notice of disagreement.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and cervical spine disorders are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology since discharge. The post-service treatment records do not support a nexus between current symptoms and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chest pain, hypoglycemia, a cervical spine disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a left shoulder disability was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including depression and PTSD, as well as a neck and cervical spine disorder. The Veteran's conditions were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypothyroidism, difficulty breathing, and cervical osteoarthritis (claimed as neck swelling) was denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the effective date for service connection of his cervical spine disability cannot be earlier than February 26, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including right arm radial nerve neuropathy, shoulder rotator cuff repair, lumbar and cervical spine conditions, left and right knee surgeries, and GERD. The appeals were addressed in the context of initial ratings assigned.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with bronchitis and traumatic arthritis have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, consistent with his high school education and previous barbering experience.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for mitral valve prolapse and neck disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further examination and consideration of her claims, including service connection for depression.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to questions regarding post-service X-rays from March 1982. The Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a neck injury is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for cervical and lumbar degenerative changes, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher evaluation under either the old or new rating criteria.