The veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and medical records do not provide objective evidence of spinal cord involvement or neurological deficits sufficient to warrant an increased rating beyond 60 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical disc degeneration, arthritis, residual right shoulder strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2005
- Citation
- 0519735
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0519735.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical disc degeneration as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral spondylosis with stenosis, based on a lack of competent evidence linking the two conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for cervical disc degeneration, but no higher.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cervical disc degeneration and spondylolisthesis as there was no evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event, nor any continuity of symptomatology since service. The VA examiner opined that the conditions were less likely than not related to the veteran's military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical disc degeneration and left cervical radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's right shoulder gunshot wound.
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