The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for cervical spine strain and denied service connection for thoracolumbar strain. The claim to reopen the final disallowed thoracolumbar strain was also granted.
The deciding factor: New evidence received since the last denial supports reopening the claim for service connection for thoracolumbar strain, but the rating remains at 30 percent as there is no new medical evidence indicating a higher disability level.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine strain, thoracolumbar spine strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- August 2, 2011
- Citation
- 1128556
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 1128556.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Appellant's request to have his military service characterized as honorable, and has also granted service connection for various conditions including unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, scars of the left second finger and thumb, thoracolumbar spine strain, bilateral knee strains, and a right foot disorder.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine strain, thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease and lumbosacral strain (back conditions), left lower extremity pain, right lower extremity pain, left shoulder strain, and right hip pain. The evidence does not show a nexus between these conditions and active duty.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the deferred claim for entitlement to service connection for sinusitis is dismissed. The claims for right hip greater trochanteric, left shoulder impingement syndrome, and thoracolumbar spine strain are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence related to the Veteran's claim for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been received since the May 2023 rating decision. The claims of increased ratings for cervical spine strain, right shoulder arthralgia, right knee arthralgia based on limitation of flexion, left knee arthralgia based on limitation of flexion, and entitlement to a 40 percent rating, but no higher, for right knee arthralgia based on limitation of extension from October 28, 2024 to February 25, 2025 are remanded.
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