The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for cervical sprain and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not comply with the requirements in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017), and other relevant regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical sprain, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18143775
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 18143775.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 radiculopathy of the left upper extremity and denied increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, while remanding claims for a cervical spine disability, hypertension, and a left shoulder disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for various conditions, due to a failure to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant as he does not have a permanent and total service-connected disability that meets the criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities, but denied service connection for left knee strain with shin splints, thoracolumbar strain with IVDS, left shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis, right shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis with calcific tendinitis, and tinnitus.
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