The Board has restored the 20 percent rating previously assigned for the Veteran's service-connected cervical disability, effective May 25, 2018, due to inadequate VA examinations used in reducing the rating.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examination reports relied upon for the reduction of the rating were not full and complete under the applicable case law interpreting the regulatory requirements of VA examinations of disabilities of the musculoskeletal system.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20002962
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 20002962.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cervical disability. The claim will be reconsidered with this information.
- Denied
The Board denied the Appellant's request for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in July 2024, as the May 2024 VA Form 21-526EZ submitted by the Appellant constituted an initial claim and not a supplemental one. The July 2024 Rating Decision was the initial decision on these issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date and a higher rating for his psychiatric and cervical disabilities, as the evidence did not support an earlier effective date or a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a cervical disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Polymyalgia rheumatica, finding that the Veteran's auto-immune disease caused or aggravated his current neck condition.
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