The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and residuals of a left eye injury, as well as his request for an increased rating for his service-connected zygomatic bone with wiring. The veteran's claim for residuals of a left eye injury was previously denied in February 1989 but reopened based on new evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran did not have a current disability related to his military service and that there was no competent medical evidence linking his cervical spine or left eye injuries to his time in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, Residuals of a left eye injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2005
- Citation
- 0518156
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 0518156.
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 determined that the VA examiner's opinion regarding service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is incomplete and requires further clarification. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service, including two claimed inservice collision injuries.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine disability, finding that there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service and no causal relationship between the current disability and any service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
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.