The Board denied service connection for cervical degenerative disc disease and dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as there was no justiciable case or controversy.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's cervical spine disability began during active service, manifested to a compensable degree within one year of discharge, or was otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was dismissed due to a previously granted service connection for depressive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical degenerative disc disease, anxiety and depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25034380
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 all the conditions listed as there was no evidence of an in-service event, nor is there evidence demonstrating a nexus to service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety and depression, finding it is at least as likely as not due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral foot disability, knee disability, ankle disability, cervical degenerative disc disease, spondylosis, and cervicalgia, secondary to a service-connected lumbar strain, as well as GERD. The claims of readjudication were also granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, for purposes of entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), as further development is necessary.
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