The Board granted increased initial ratings for cervical spine strain and cervicothoracic radiculopathy of both upper extremities, as well as service connection for right hand and wrist pain. The left hand disability was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms most nearly approximate moderate incomplete paralysis in the upper extremities and unfavorable ankylosis of the cervical spine, warranting increased ratings and service connection respectively.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine strain, Cervicothoracic radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, Cervicothoracic radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, Right hand and wrist pain, Left hand disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25038183
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25038183.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for a neck disorder, as it is insufficiently addressed in the previous decision. The case will be sent back for an addendum opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability and right upper extremity radiculopathy were denied increased evaluations. The TDIU claim was also denied prior to August 20, 2013.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The VA will obtain medical opinions regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as well as a TERA examination for frequent urination.
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