The claim for an increased rating for the service-connected cervical spine disability is remanded to correct a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the May 2022 rating decision on appeal.
The deciding factor: The Board concluded that it was not shown that the Veteran failed to report for an examination scheduled in connection with his claim, and therefore, the issue is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of the cervical spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25046697
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,772 · Granted: 37% (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 A25046697.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical spine and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that new evidence supports these claims. Service connection is also granted for a musculoskeletal disability of the neck/upper back.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 15, 2012. The Board granted a total disability rating for compensation due to his unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to active duty, ADT, or IDT.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical spine and migraines (claimed as headaches) as secondary to a degenerative change in the cervical spine.
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