Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The VA has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability, currently rated at 30 percent, does not warrant a higher rating based on current evidence of record.

The Board denied a request for an earlier effective date of August 13, 1993, for the grant of service connection for limitation of motion of the cervical spine. The veteran filed his claim on August 16, 1993.

The VA is remanding the case for additional development due to a need for updated medical records and an orthopedic examination.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the left foot, cervical spine, dorsal spine, and lumbar spine in April 1987 due to lack of evidence within one year post-service and non-traumatic nature. The veteran's motion argues that CUE was made in this decision.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disability due to new medical evidence submitted since the last final denial. The case is now remanded for further development.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his low back and cervical spine disabilities.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left foot disabilities, as well as her lumbosacral strain disability, were denied. The veteran's claim for service connection for cervical strain was not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and a noncompensable rating for her headache condition.

The veteran's degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine does not cause any limitation of motion.,The veteran has been granted the maximum schedular rating available for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, and thus an increased rating claim must be denied based on a lack of entitlement under the law.,The veteran's spondylosis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine have also been granted the maximum schedular rating available, resulting in a denial of his increased rating claim for this condition.,There is no competent medical evidence indicating that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine disorder.,The combined disability rating of 70 percent assigned from June 19, 1997 was correctly calculated by the M&ROC using the combined ratings table.,The criteria for a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have been met.

The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), as well as service connection for heart disease, emphysema, anxiety and depression, arthritis of joints, and a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied. The neck disability is secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain, while basal cell carcinoma of the right forehead is presumed due to fuel exposure during active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine and right foot disabilities, as well as his requests for earlier effective dates for TMJ and GERD. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of an appendectomy, to include a scar or scars, and for cervical strain. The veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis is remanded due to the failure to issue a statement of the case.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus status post anterior cervical discectomy, C4-C5, and right iliac crest autograft. The evaluation for the former condition was maintained at 60 percent, while the evaluation for the latter condition remained noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's multiple disabilities, including bipolar disorder and cervical spondylosis, render him permanently and totally unemployable, thus warranting a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence. The veteran was previously denied in March 1961, and no new evidence has been submitted since then.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a spine injury with cervical spondylosis and DJD, and denied entitlement to service connection for carotid artery occlusion and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The decision was based on the lack of evidence showing any relationship between these conditions and service.

The veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and right knee have been granted with respective evaluations of 20%, 10%, and 10% since January 1996. The claim for bilateral ulnar neuropathy was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding that his conditions did not warrant higher ratings or service connection based on a broken neck. The effective date of service connection was set at November 13, 1995.