The Board denied service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the cervical spine, finding that there is no evidence linking the condition to service or any known clinical diagnosis.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records did not show a chronic disability during service and medical evidence does not support a link between environmental exposures in Southwest Asia and subsequent development of neck pain following cessation of exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004638
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · 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 20004638.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy is dismissed. Service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the cervical spine is granted.
- Partly granted
The veteran's disability rating for IVDS of the cervical spine was restored to 20 percent. Service connection was granted for left and right upper extremity radiculopathy. Other issues were remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected cervical spine disability was denied as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation than 20 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is remanded due to the need for a new evaluation considering his service-connected disabilities.
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