The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, right and left upper extremity radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia as secondary to the cervical spine disability, but denied an increased rating for the hamate hook fracture of the right hand.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in equipoise concerning the nexus between the Veteran's cervical spine disability and his motor vehicle accident during active duty service. The Veteran's symptoms were also found to be causally related to his service-connected cervical spine disability, warranting a grant for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, left upper extremity radial and ulnar radicular pain and paresthesia, hamate hook fracture of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042661
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's in-service treatment for pack palsy with residual weakness.
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