Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is related to his service-connected left shoulder disorder and grants service connection for this condition as secondary.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his low back and neck disabilities, as well as clarification regarding diagnoses of urinary frequency disorder and nerve disorders.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of cervical spine disability, migraine headaches, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy due to a withdrawal request by the Veteran's representative.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of June 21, 2018 for the Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy (neuritis), finding that these conditions were secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is related to service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate their claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of both wrists. However, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, the case is remanded for further action including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral carpel tunnel condition.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and ulnar nerve impingement disorders due to the need for additional medical opinions addressing causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral pes planus, plantar fasciitis, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, left and right hip strains, left and right knee conditions, and tinnitus have been granted. The Veteran is also assigned a 10 percent rating for each of the affected limbs.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, left knee, low back, and right wrist conditions due to a failure of VA to schedule the Veteran for an examination and to secure private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for a lower back disability and remanded the issues of secondary service connection for neck disability as related to the lower back disability, and an increased rating for SMA syndrome. A new VA examination is needed to determine the appropriate diagnostic codes for the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine disability and left shoulder disability due to a duty to assist error. The VA examiner will be asked to provide opinions on whether these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities, including aggravation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate notification and scheduling of VA examinations. The Veteran was not properly notified of scheduled VA examinations, which may have affected his claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral spine disability and TDIU prior to April 25, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 3, 2014, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate reasons and bases in the prior decisions, specifically regarding the credibility of the Veteran's subjective symptoms and the adequacy of the examinations conducted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for rhinitis must be readjudicated, as no new and relevant evidence has been submitted since the previous denial in November 2020. The remaining claims of service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome of the cervical spine with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis, left shoulder impingement syndrome, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for effective dates of July 16, 2012, but not earlier, for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for cervical strain before the Board made its decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and cervical strain, as secondary to lumbosacral strain, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable (zero percent) due to the presence of a nonservice-connected right ear with Level I hearing acuity.,There is no evidence of current right ear hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.