The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support a finding of service connection for DDD of the cervical spine, as it was not demonstrated in service or within one year after discharge.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a neck injury during service and no compensable disability due to DDD of the cervical spine within one year post-service. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2006
- Citation
- 0638497
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 0638497.
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 remands the issues of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent prior to December 26, 2007, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine due to inadequate explanation of denial of higher evaluations.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbosacral spine prior to October 29, 2021, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 25, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue for issuance of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) addressing the propriety of the reduction in the disability rating and to readjudicate the increased rating claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected cervical spine disability is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
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.