The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, finding that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness on entry into service and insufficient medical opinions to establish a nexus between current spinal conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The VA failed to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current spinal conditions are related to his active-duty service or pre-existing conditions, leading to denial of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical degenerative disc disease, Lumbar degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2022
- Citation
- 22060475
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22060475.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathies, is granted as service connected. The issues of right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further examination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acute kidney failure and lumbar degenerative disc disease, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine arthritis, bilateral knee degenerative arthritis, and lumbar degenerative disc disease. The Veteran's conditions are deemed to have been incurred during his active military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inconsistencies in the medical evidence regarding her arm symptoms and radiculopathy. The VA will obtain a report of the May 2024 nerve conduction study and schedule an examination to determine if she has a right and/or left arm disability, including radiculopathy, that is related to her cervical spine disability.
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