The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected cervical spine disability has been denied. The disability is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum under the General Rating Formula for Diseases or Injuries of the Spine.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s cervical spine disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not involve unfavorable ankylosis, associated objective neurologic abnormalities, or incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome requiring bed rest with a total duration of at least four weeks but less than six weeks in a twelve-month period.
- Claimed conditions
- neck muscle strain, mild degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20004936
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (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 20004936.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck muscle strain is related to her military service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected neck muscle strain and remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher rating for thoracolumbar scoliosis with degenerative changes and IVDS due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for mild degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The remaining claims for right carpal tunnel syndrome and right lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected Hashimoto's thyroiditis is granted a 60 percent rating, effective September 7, 2011. She also receives TDIU benefits.
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