Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and adjustment disorder with mixed emotional reaction (claimed as depression), are denied. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and lumbar strain are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various service-connected disabilities, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine disability, depressive disorder, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The case is also being remanded to consider an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities and cervical spine DJD due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The VA examinations did not fully address whether the Veteran's conditions are related to service or caused by his service-connected right shoulder condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment, qualifying for TDIU. The Veteran is not in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, thus SMC on the basis of aid and attendance is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for a lung disability, including COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema. The Veteran's right ring finger, back, cervical spine, and psychiatric disabilities have been found to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to October 10, 2012. Service connection has also been denied for a right foot disability and a right hip disability.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for the service-connected cervical spine strain prior to August 25, 2016. The Veteran's condition was found to be essentially the same before and after this date.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for postherpetic neuralgia of the 9th cranial nerve involving the right ear was granted with a 10 percent evaluation effective August 13, 2020. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities for further development, including obtaining updated VA examinations that address specific functional loss during flare-ups or after repetitive use.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, is granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical degenerative disc disease.,Service connection for right lower and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy (previously characterized as muscle pain) is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied, with effective dates set at August 9, 2016.

An effective date of May 17, 2012, but not before, for the assignment of a 30 percent disability rating for tension headaches is granted.,An effective date of June 14, 2012, but not before, for the original assignment of a 20 percent disability rating for cervical strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD) is granted.,An effective date of June 14, 2012, but not before, for the original assignment of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbar DDD is granted.,An effective date of June 14, 2012, but not before, for the original assignment of a TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is at least as likely as not related to service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back injury, cervical injury, bilateral foot condition, and inguinal hernia condition due to inadequate consideration of all pertinent evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent prior to April 8, 2003, and for the period of May 8, 2003, to May 24, 2004, for service-connected cervical spine disability is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent as of May 25, 2004, for a cervical spine disability is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 25, 2004, but no earlier than September 24, 2002, for an extraschedular TDIU is granted.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 25, 2004, but no earlier than September 24, 2002, for the award of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is granted.

The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's cervical spine disability and associated radiculopathies, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 20 percent for the cervical spine disability or any higher rating for LUE radiculopathy.

Service connection granted for a polysubstance abuse disorder secondary to PTSD and TBIs, effective from the date of decision.,Service connection granted for a cervical spine disability as secondary to PTSD with polysubstance abuse disorder, effective from the date of decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives. The cervical spine strain claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there is no medical evidence linking the current condition to service or service-connected lower back disability.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to September 12, 2021 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The claim for TDIU has been granted.,The initial rating of 20 percent for the cervical spine disability is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.,The Veteran has multiple unresolved claims related to his military service, including those involving his shoulders, back, hips, elbows, hands, wrists, and knees.