The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis are related to his military service, including a fall from a helicopter during combat in Vietnam. The claim for service connection is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of neck pain and degenerative changes were noted shortly after his reported injury in service, and the Board found continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2018
- Citation
- 1803077
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 1803077.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral foot disability, knee disability, ankle disability, cervical degenerative disc disease, spondylosis, and cervicalgia, secondary to a service-connected lumbar strain, as well as GERD. The claims of readjudication were also granted.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the neck, left wrist ganglion cyst, and left wrist scar; granted increased ratings for the bilateral CTS and hypertension for part of the periods of appeal; and remanded the issues of increased ratings for bilateral CTS with radiculopathy from June 20, 2022, and entitlement to a TDIU prior to June 20, 2022.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for cervical degenerative disc disease, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an adequate VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's current neck disability, including whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disability.
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