The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities, as well as his claim for a TDIU. The Board found that there was no evidence to support the Veteran's contention that his radiculopathy was secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including cervical dorsal myositis or left trapezius and supraspinatus muscle myositis. Additionally, the Board determined that the Veteran could perform sedentary employment with limited neck movement due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were given more weight than the Veteran's lay opinion regarding the relationship between his radiculopathy and his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran was capable of performing the physical and mental acts necessary for sedentary employment, despite having limitations due to his neck myositis.
- Claimed conditions
- radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- August 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18125630
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 18125630.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to multiple service-connected disabilities, including radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities and low back condition. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU due to his inability to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, secondary to a cervical spine disability, is also granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right wrist disability and left knee disabilities are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is remanded for further development.,The Veteran's vitamin D deficiency is remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection of radiculopathy of the left upper extremity. The Board has dismissed this issue.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.