The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for neck/cervical spine disability, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical spine degenerative arthritis to an in-service injury or event, as the Veteran's service treatment records were silent for any complaints of neck pain. The Board also noted that there was no competent evidence relating the disability to service.
- Claimed conditions
- neck/cervical spine disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017636
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 A26017636.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck/cervical spine disability, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ankle disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and neck/cervical spine disabilities based on evidence in approximate balance showing a causal relationship between these conditions and his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection of multiple joint pain and disabilities to correct an error by the AOJ, satisfy its duty to assist under 38 U.S.C. § 5103A, and obtain additional VA examinations and medical nexus opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a neck/cervical spine disability as the evidence did not show that the condition was chronic in service, noted within one year from service discharge, or otherwise etiologically related to active service.
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