The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and an earlier effective date for a 40 percent rating, as well as an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his thoracic spine disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support higher ratings due to the lack of significant neurological impairment or other factors required by the applicable criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of injury to the cervical spine, Residuals of injury to the thoracic spine with slight compression deformity, T7-T8, Post-concussion headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2008
- Citation
- 0810732
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities. A 30 percent rating was also granted for vertigo associated with TBI.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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