The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder, right upper extremity neurological disorder, and left upper extremity neurological disorder as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be related to the current complaints.
The deciding factor: There is no medical opinion that purports to relate current carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, cervical stenosis and degenerative changes, and/or left upper extremity radiculopathy to service. The onset of these conditions occurred well after service, and there was no duty to obtain a medical opinion regarding any of the claims under McLendon v. Nicholson.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine (neck) disorder, right upper extremity neurological disorder, left upper extremity neurological disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2024
- Citation
- A24067051
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 Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as service connection for various conditions.
- Partly granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to obtain additional evidence, including VA examinations and opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a migraine headache disorder and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, and assigned a 10 percent rating for his lumbar area surgical scar. The remaining claims were remanded for further development.
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