The Veteran's thoracic and cervical spine disabilities are not service-connected.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between the Veteran’s in-service motor vehicle accident and his current cervical spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that there was no clear connection between the Veteran's in-service motor vehicle accident and his current cervical spine disability, as well as no evidence of cervical DDD until 20 years after service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic spine disability, Cervical spine disability with neurological impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18113286
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 18113286.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for memory loss disability, cervical spine disability, and thoracic spine disability. The case is remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding the relationship between these disabilities and service or any related conditions.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a thoracic spine disability but denied it for a lumbar spine disability, claimed as displacement of the lumbar disc with degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, dismissed the claim for a thoracic spine disability, and granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain and meniscal tear, left hip strain as secondary to a service-connected thoracolumbar lumbar spine disorder, and a generalized anxiety disorder and other specified depressive disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar and thoracic spine disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.
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