The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA examination to assess the severity of his cervical spine disability.
The deciding factor: The October 2014 VA examination was inadequate and does not provide sufficient information regarding the current level of severity of the Veteran’s cervical spine disability. The examiner did not address functional loss due to pain or flare-ups, which is necessary for a proper rating determination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (Cervical Spine)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20013305
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 20013305.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70% rating, effective from the date of the decision. Other disabilities are also addressed and rated appropriately.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for OSA, cervical spine DDD prior to August 30, 2018, and cervical spine DDD from August 30, 2018 onwards were denied. The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for cervical spine DDD and lumbar spine disability were granted, with the cervical spine rating being increased from 30% to 40%, effective June 21, 2013. The lumbar spine rating was also increased from 40% to 40%, but remains unchanged.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disorder and headaches have been granted service connection.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has not been established.
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