Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran is granted a 30% rating for his service-connected neck scars and cervical tuberculosis adenitis, effective January 27, 1997.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disorder with radiculopathy, a scar (neck), and left upper extremity radiculopathy. However, the effective dates for these grants are denied as they were not based on new evidence or SDRs.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis and cervical strain have been rated at 20 percent, but the lumbar degenerative disc disease with strain has not met the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS, PTSD, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, and migraines have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection and initial ratings for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left lumbar radiculopathy, right knee disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, and left elbow disability are denied. Service connection for major depressive disorder is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. � 1151 and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding causation.

The Veteran's low back pain with degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis status post posterior lumbar interbody fusion is granted at a 40 percent evaluation. The issue of service connection for a neck disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since January 10, 2017. The Board has determined that the criteria for TDIU were met as of January 10, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical and thoracic spine disabilities is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that is relevant to his claims.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a skin disability, right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability. Service connection for a back disability, neck disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and adjustment disorder) is denied.,Service connection for the skin disability is established based on in-service exposure to sun and headgear restrictions.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been secured with respect to the claim of cervical spine condition (claimed as neck pain), and therefore, reconsideration is warranted. The Veteran's bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees was aggravated beyond its natural progression due to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for additional retroactive VA disability compensation benefits under the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payment (CRDP) program is remanded due to insufficient information from the retired pay center and DFAS records. The AOJ must provide a detailed review of the Veteran's compensation award, specifically for the period prior to April 1, 2019.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development of the evidence.

Service connection for rhinitis and sinusitis is granted due to presumed exposure to fine, particulate matter during service in the Southwest Asia theatre of operations.,Service connection for a neck disability is denied as there is no evidence that it began during or is related to an in-service injury.

The Board previously denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, but the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) has ordered remand due to errors in the decision. The case is now before the Board again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a benign cervical syrinx and a cervical spine condition (including cervicalgia) due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to his in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during or within one year after active duty service, continuity of symptoms since service, or causation by service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected obesity is attributed to his service-connected left plantar wart and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, which has caused him to develop polymyositis and arthritis of multiple joints. The Board grants service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for numbness of the right and left lower extremities as these claims have been fully resolved by a July 2023 rating decision that granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The cervical spine disorder claim is remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board has determined that remand is necessary to confirm the Veteran's precise dates of all periods of active duty service, ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The AOJ should also obtain and associate with the claims file any and all outstanding medical records from the Veteran's periods of ACDUTRA and/or INACDUTRA.