The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his chronic cervical strain was denied as the evidence did not show forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees, combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees, muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour, or ankylosis of the entire cervical spine.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees, combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees, muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour, or ankylosis of the entire cervical spine.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic cervical strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19110634
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,162 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19110634.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected chronic cervical strain due to a lack of adequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the claims for a higher rating due to inadequate VA examinations. A new examination is required to assess the veteran's conditions during flare-ups and repeated use.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for chronic cervical strain, chronic lumbar strain, and chronic left and right shoulder sprains prior to November 30, 2022.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for thrombocytopenia purpura and higher ratings for several other conditions due to lack of evidence or failure to attend scheduled VA examinations.
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