The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 13, 2009 for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine with fusion and retained hardware from C3-4, C 4-7, and C7 to T2 was denied. The Board found that no document prior to March 13, 2009 could be construed as a claim for service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: No evidence or allegation of an earlier claim for service connection for the cervical spine disability prior to March 13, 2009 was found in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1632043
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 1632043.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of his condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, which grants entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at a housebound rate is moot due to the grant of aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since June 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU effective July 1, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and left ankle fracture residuals are being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records.
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