The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, including as secondary to service-connected lumbar strain. The case is being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was submitted since the most recent final September 2015 rating decision which relates to an unsubstantiated issue necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical degenerative disc disease, Cervical degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19124098
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a total disability rating from August 22, 2019, and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from September 30, 2019. The Veteran is also granted individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities from December 1, 2013.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities. A 30 percent rating was also granted for vertigo associated with TBI.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent evaluation for the Veteran's right upper and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, but denied an increased rating for cervical degenerative disc disease.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee, ankle, foot, and hip disabilities but granted service connection for cervical degenerative disc disease.
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