Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension. The issues are inextricably intertwined with his claim of service connection for a psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's scar of the cervical spine is not found to have any disabling effects, and therefore does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7805.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, finding that there was not enough evidence to support a link between his current condition and his in-service injury. The Board concluded that the Veteran did not meet the third prong of the test for entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as his non-service-connected ankle and feet conditions also limit his employment.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional review due to the receipt of new VA clinical documentation. The Veteran was not provided an opportunity to waive initial review, and thus the case must be returned to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for readjudication.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for cervical spine disability was denied, with the effective date of the increase being November 11, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability, service connection for a back disorder, and TDIU due to additional relevant evidence received since the last decision.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to her active duty service in the U.S. Army, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied reopening of the claims for service connection for left hip arthritis, left knee arthritis, and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine with bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy due to lack of evidence relating these conditions to military service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including psychiatric disorders, hip disabilities, shoulder and knee disabilities, ankle disabilities, foot disabilities, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, and sleep apnea due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to the appellant's military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is now rated at 40 percent, effective April 1, 2021. His neck disability remains at a 30 percent rating since April 1, 2021.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted service connection. The cervical, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities are not found to be related to service.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The current VA medical opinions do not adequately address the exposure basis or provide a clear nexus opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, and cervical spine arthritis due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and neck condition secondary to hearing loss and vestibular disorder due to insufficient evidence in the record regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical strain and peripheral neuropathy in the bilateral upper extremities, both secondary to service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, due to insufficient opinions from the March 2022 VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for a left knee disability and has remanded the issues of service connection for right knee, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities. The Veteran's claims are pending.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy should be remanded due to a lack of in-person examinations. The VA is instructed to attempt to obtain these examinations from the correctional facility where the Veteran is incarcerated.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including GERD, left knee condition, right hip strain, thoracolumbar spine, gastric ulcer/gastritis, left talus non-displaced fracture, right ankle tendonitis, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis. The decision also includes a request for new VA examinations for these conditions.