The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the inadequacy of a VA examination in assessing his cervical spine disability, specifically regarding functional loss due to pain.
The deciding factor: The July 2017 VA exam did not adequately consider the Veteran’s functional loss due to pain and other symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine degenerative joint disease (DJD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001060
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20001060.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings for cervical spine DJD, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar DJD, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied higher ratings for right hip limitation of flexion and extension.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's right and left foot disabilities, migraine headaches, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, and posttraumatic stress disorder at any point during the appeal period.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 15, 2022 for the increased rating of 40 percent for low back pain and August 7, 2023 for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease with spinal fusion, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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