The Board found that the veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to his military service, including a motor vehicle accident in May 1963. The evidence does not show any injury or aggravation of an existing condition during service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is less likely than not caused by or a result of the veteran being hit by an automobile while in the Army, including the motor vehicle accident in May 1963. The examiner stated that it would be difficult to determine the exact etiology but suspects aging as the primary contributing factor.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc and joint disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0625648
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (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 0625648.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, hemorrhoids, cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease, left hand condition, and right hand condition, as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and attending to personal hygiene needs. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for TDIU.
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