The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease, including radiculopathy, is granted as service-connected.,Secondary service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy is also granted.
The deciding factor: The May 2015 VA examiner found that the Veteran’s neck disability was not related to service but rather due to his chronic complaints over time and non-active duty motor vehicle accident in 2010. The October 2019 private medical opinion confirmed this finding, stating that the pinched nerve occurred during a bus ride while on active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease, Radiculopathy of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20007806
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 20007806.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent prior to September 20, 2013 and at 30 percent thereafter. The Veteran asserts that his symptoms warrant higher ratings.,The Veteran's right vocal cord paralysis is currently rated at 30 percent.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical strain and left upper extremity radiculopathy are granted at a 40 percent rating effective November 3, 2017. The Veteran's lumbar strain is rated as 40 percent disabling after July 29, 2014.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease, radiculopathy of the upper extremities as secondary to service-connected cervical spine degenerative disc and joint disease, lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease. The Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims of increased disability ratings for various service-connected disabilities, as well as the associated TDIU claim and several reopened claims, were denied due to her failure without good cause to report for necessary VA examinations.
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