The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for neck disabilities, including herniated discs and Klippel-Feil syndrome, as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The decision also granted TDIU based on the Veteran’s combined rating of 70% due to multiple service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no medical evidence establishing a direct or secondary relationship between the Veteran's neck disabilities and his service-connected left knee disability, leading to denial of service connection. The decision also noted that the Veteran met the criteria for TDIU based on his combined rating exceeding 70%.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disabilities, herniated discs, Klippel-Feil syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19127875
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 19127875.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, to include herniated discs and lumbar surgery due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The appeal of a timely request for Higher-Level Review of the Veteran's entitlement to service connection for his claimed back and neck disabilities is denied.
- Partly granted
The veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted starting from December 31, 2015. The issue of TDIU prior to this date was remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's request to revise a 1996 rating decision that denied service connection for Klippel-Feil syndrome based on clear and unmistakable error. The Board found no error in the original decision.
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