The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection due to postoperative residuals of Klippel-Feil syndrome with fusion at C6-7, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted. The decision also noted that the veteran's current chronic neck pain was not related to his service-connected Klippel-Feil syndrome.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the provided evidence did not constitute new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim for postoperative residuals of Klippel-Feil syndrome with fusion at C6-7, as it did not provide any direct or indirect link between the current neck pain and service-connected Klippel-Feil syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative residuals of Klippel-Feil syndrome with fusion at C6-7, chronic neck pain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2001
- Citation
- 0122790
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0122790.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of chronic neck pain and cervical strain, finding that the Veteran did not file a claim for these conditions until June 28, 2013.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for service connection for headaches, chronic neck pain, mental health disorder, and temporomandibular joint disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic neck pain, sinusitis, right knee condition, left knee condition, and back condition due to inadequate medical opinions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.