The Board granted service connection for cervical strain, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity as secondary to cervical strain, an initial 30 percent rating for sinusitis effective from November 26, 2019, and a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine effective from November 26, 2018.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in equipoise as to whether the cervical strain, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, sinusitis, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine were related to active service or secondary to a service-connected condition, thus granting service connection for all conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical strain, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, sinusitis, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25053292
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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).
- Partly granted
The Board granted higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome of both upper extremities, but remanded claims for service connection for sinusitis, calcified lymph nodes on the lungs, and cervical strain.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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