The Board has determined that the veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was not incurred in or aggravated during active service and denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the cervical spine disorder was more likely unrelated to the appellant's military duty, based on a lack of evidence of such a condition prior to February 1997 when treatment records first noted it.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0215961
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 0215961.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted disability ratings of 40 percent for right shoulder impingement syndrome, 30 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, 30 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, and 30 percent for right knee patellar chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, but not higher.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to higher disability ratings for chronic sinusitis, low back disability, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy right upper extremity, and thoracolumbar spine scar. The Board also remanded service connection claims for left and right knee disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied higher staged ratings for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, but granted an effective date of January 11, 2017, for special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and residuals of hysterectomy to obtain additional medical opinions.
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.