The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for service-connected residuals of a neck injury with degenerative changes to the cervical spine, effective from September 26, 2003. The veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed that forward flexion and backward extension of the cervical spine were limited to 45 degrees with discomfort beginning at 20 degrees after September 26, 2003, meeting the criteria for a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5242.
- Claimed conditions
- left side tinnitus with balance problems, residuals of a neck injury with degenerative changes to the cervical spine, left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 23, 2006
- Citation
- 0608441
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,293 · Granted: 17% (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 0608441.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of sleep apnea, left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right ear hearing loss due to untimely filing.,The Board also dismissed the appeal for service connection of left ear hearing loss as moot because it was already granted in a prior decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss for VA purposes.
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