The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability as there is no evidence of an in-service injury, disease, or event and no medical opinion linking the current condition to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's neck disability is less likely than not incurred in or caused by service due to the lack of documented symptoms during service and the long gap between service and the first diagnosis of cervical dystonia.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- 25007266
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 service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death, as an appellant's claim does not survive their death.
- Denied
The Veteran was awarded service connection for allergic rhinitis based on the PACT Act, but an earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022, is not warranted.
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