The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury, and thus denied her claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions concluded that the cervical spine disability was less likely due to or related to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar and thoracic spine disabilities, and more likely due to a motor vehicle accident post-service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20080009
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable disability rating for headaches as a neurological impairment associated with service-connected cervical disc disease was denied. The claim for entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to May 22, 2009 was also denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.