The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not caused by his injury during ACDUTRA in 1981, and thus denied service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is more likely due to a pre-existing condition aggravated by subsequent military service rather than being directly related to his injury during ACDUTRA.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical Sprain, Ruptured Discs at C3-4 and C4-5
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2013
- Citation
- 1316775
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1316775.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, sleep apnea, hypertension, right MCA stroke with left-sided hemiplegia and major neurocognitive impairment, headaches, left ankle sprain, cervical sprain, and lumbar disc disease are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board incorrectly applied the law, finding clear and unmistakable evidence that a cervical sprain existed prior to service but failed to consider whether it was aggravated during service. The decision is revised due to this error.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability was found to have a combined range of motion of the cervical spine to 280 degrees, with no muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait. The Veteran's foot condition did not show any abnormalities on imaging studies and had no impact on his ability to work.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's cervical sprain did not meet criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent, his appendectomy scar was not compensable prior to November 27, 2007 and rated as 10 percent after that date, and his headaches met criteria for an initial 30 percent rating.
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