The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not related to his service-connected low back disability. As a result, service connection for the cervical spine disability is denied.
The deciding factor: VA examiners provided clear explanations of rationale for their opinions, including noting no evidence in the STRs that the Veteran had a neck injury, complained of neck pain, or was treated for neck pain, and explaining that the low back disability did not cause, result from, or aggravate the cervical spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disability (DDD, DJD, degenerative arthritis, spondylosis, cervicalgia, multilevel disc bulge, neural foraminal narrowing, and impingement)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2017
- Citation
- 1702840
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 1702840.
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).
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