The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found credible the Veteran's lay statements regarding his neck pain during and after service, which outweighed the negative VA opinion due to its failure to consider these reports.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 6, 2021
- Citation
- 21062007
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, left and right upper extremity radiculopathy, as secondary to a service-connected lower back disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and entitlement to TDIU due to the need for a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's symptoms amount to functional ankylosis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's combat service in the Persian Gulf.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a neck condition, to include degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, cervical lordosis, and bone atrophy, as secondary to degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, due to duty to assist errors.
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