The Board has granted a higher rating of 30 percent for the service-connected cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, effective as of September 26, 2003.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows severe limitation of motion and associated symptoms such as pain, spasms, and stiffness in the veteran's neck, which more nearly approximates a severe functional limitation.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 9, 2005
- Citation
- 0503255
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,599 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0503255.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical strain with degenerative disc disease is rated at 30 percent, and he is granted service connection for vertigo and cervicogenic headaches secondary to this condition.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, right and left thumb, index, long, ring, and little finger degenerative arthritis, and right knee tendonitis. However, a separate rating of 10 percent was granted for the group of minor joints composed of the right and left ring and little fingers.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain with degenerative disc disease is currently rated at 10 percent prior to September 20, 2021, and at 30 percent thereafter. The claim for a higher rating remains denied as the evidence does not support an increase in ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's cervical spine condition, as the previous examination did not adequately address flare-ups and their impact on function.
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