Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for right knee and left knee chondromalacia patella, but remanded the claims for bilateral knee arthritis, cervical spine condition, increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for hypertension, and total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's back disability is granted service connection. The neck, right hip, left ankle, heart, kidney, head trauma, and seizures disabilities are denied as not related to service.

The Board has found that the Veteran submitted a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the June 2018 rating decision, but an SOC has not yet been issued. The case is being remanded to issue an SOC and allow the Veteran to perfect his appeal by submitting a VA Form 9.

All appeals for service connection and evaluations have been dismissed. A TDIU is granted from January 30, 2018.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. The VA examiners were asked to address whether these disabilities are related to service, but did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and evaluation, as the current VA examinations do not comply with legal requirements. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, cervical spine strain, and thoracolumbar spine strain are being reviewed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine strain, finding that his current diagnosis is related to symptoms he reported during and after active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability and bilateral foot disability due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives regarding obtaining VA treatment records and service treatment records. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of her cervical spine disability is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to account for flare-ups and lay statements.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted. The cervical and lumbar spine disability ratings have been remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to evaluate her service-connected neck disability and addressing her claims for increased evaluations of her restless legs syndrome and right hip bursitis.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and a left shoulder disability, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's use of crutches during service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims can be adjudicated. The AOJ should obtain copies of VA treatment records for the Veteran's disabilities from October 2019 to the present, verify all active duty for training and inactive duty training dates for alleged service, and obtain his complete service treatment records. A VA examination must also be scheduled for the Veteran regarding his left shoulder disability, migraine headaches, and cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board remanded the cases for neck disability and back disability, as well as right foot disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete examinations and other procedural issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (insomnia, low back injury residuals, right upper extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine injury residuals, and tinnitus) meet the criteria for a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service connected disabilities. The Veteran is also eligible for TDIU benefits.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for cervical and thoracic spine spondylosis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination to assess the severity of his symptoms, including during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's hypertension is granted, but his left arm and fingers numbness as well as cervical spine disability are still pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical examinations and potential incarceration issues.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability, right shoulder disability, and neck disability are remanded for further examination and opinion. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the thoracolumbar spine disability, service connection for a right shoulder disability as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, and service connection for a neck disability as secondary to the lumbar spine disability are also remanded.