The Board has granted an earlier effective date of August 27, 2008 for the grant of service connection for chronic musculoligamentous strain of the cervical spine in association with minimal degenerative discogenic changes at C6-7. The effective date is based on the Veteran's original claim for a left shoulder disability which was received within one year after discharge from service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the cervical spine disorder should be considered as part of the original service connection claim for a left shoulder disability, and thus the effective date should be the same as the date of the initial claim for a left shoulder disability - August 27, 2008.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic musculoligamentous strain of the cervical spine, minimal degenerative discogenic changes at C6-7
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 24, 2014
- Citation
- 1442793
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 1442793.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. Continuity of symptomatology is also not established.,There is no evidence that the Veteran has had radiculopathy of the lower left leg at any time during, or approximate to, the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated as 10 percent due to forward flexion limited to 30 degrees and combined range of motion not greater than 170 degrees. The examiner noted that repetitive use testing did not show any additional loss of function.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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