The Veteran's neck disability has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. For TDIU, the Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements as his combined service-connected disabilities do not reach 70% or more.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s cervical spine degenerative arthritis has been rated at 10 percent based on its primary manifestations of pain and limitation of motion. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted given the evidence does not show forward flexion to less than 15 degrees, nor any additional functional loss due to flare-ups or repetitive use.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical Spine Degenerative Arthritis, Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Restless Leg Syndrome, Right Upper Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Upper Extremity Radiculopathy (prior to May 1, 2017), Left Upper Extremity Radiculopathy (after May 1, 2017), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Lumbar Spine Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Left Knee Disability, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 31, 2018
- Citation
- 1806229
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 1806229.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
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