The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent since October 25, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period prior to October 25, 2011.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations and private treatment records consistently show that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is manifested by forward flexion limited to 35 degrees or less with pain at 25-30 degrees. This aligns with a rating of 20 percent under the General Rating Formula for Rating Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder degenerative arthritis of the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joint with diffused tear and supraspinatus (right shoulder disability), cervical spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1600242
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 1600242.
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.
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The Board denied the claims of service connection for cervical spine and skin rash disabilities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities due to a predecisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's past medical history needs to be considered in the new examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and cervical spine disability due to potential service connection issues related to obesity, service-connected disabilities, and other factors.
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