The Veteran's neck disability was previously rated at 10 percent prior to September 5, 2017 and is now denied for a rating in excess of 20 percent.,Starting from September 5, 2017, the Veteran's neck disability remains rated at 20 percent.,The Veteran's back disability was previously rated at 20 percent from April 6, 2012 to May 23, 2013 and is now denied for a rating in excess of 20 percent.,Starting from May 23, 2013, the Veteran's back disability remains rated at 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s neck disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the General Rating Formula or IVDS Formula due to limitations in range of motion and pain without additional functional loss.,Starting from September 5, 2017, the Veteran's neck disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his forward flexion was greater than 15 degrees and he did not have favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine.,The Veteran’s back disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the General Rating Formula or IVDS Formula due to limitations in range of motion and pain without additional functional loss.,Starting from May 23, 2013, the Veteran's back disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his forward flexion was greater than 30 degrees and he did not have favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical strain (neck disability), Low back strain (back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18118816
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 18118816.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of spine and cervical strain due to insufficient medical opinion regarding direct, secondary, or aggravation causation.
- Denied
The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, and in excess of 20 percent for a lumbosacral strain (back disability) and cervical strain (neck disability), as well as separate ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy. A rating of 30 percent was granted for the neck disability starting from May 22, 2022.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for TMJ dysfunction with arthritis, cervical strain (neck disability), lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome with arthritis, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, tension headaches, and left thigh impairment. However, a 20 percent rating was granted for left lower radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for acute left ankle sprain, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or a causal relationship between the current disability and any in-service event. The claims for cervical strain and left shoulder strain were remanded for further development.
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