The Veteran's chronic neck disorder was not shown in service, and is not causally or etiologically related to service. The Board finds that the current cervical spine DDD is not caused by or permanently worsened by the service-connected left shoulder DJD.
The deciding factor: The VA clinician opined that the cervical spine disorder began during service due to an in-service truck accident, but there was no evidence of neck pain until May 2015. The current severity of the cervical spine disorder is not greater than baseline and is not caused by or permanently worsened by the service-connected left shoulder DJD.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic neck disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1641604
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 1641604.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic low back and neck disorders, finding that there was no evidence showing a relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for this condition, as well as for a headache disorder. The claims for chronic neck disorder, chronic back disorder, chronic right knee disorder, and chronic left knee disorder are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete VA examination reports.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a chronic low back disorder and diabetes mellitus type II with multiple symptoms. The claims were not reopened for other conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.