The Board has denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression) and hypertension. The neck condition is not related to service, while there is evidence suggesting a possible link between the psychiatric disorders and service exposure.
The deciding factor: The April 2020 VA examiner found no causal relationship between the Veteran's neck condition and his service due to lack of in-service injury records. For the psychiatric issues, the Board acknowledged potential service exposure but noted insufficient medical evidence linking the conditions directly to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder (neck condition), Acquired psychiatric disorder, to include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21003545
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 21003545.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and higher rating for her low back strain. The Board also did not grant TDIU due to insufficient evidence showing she is unemployable.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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