The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and there is probative medical evidence linking this condition to his military service. For the back disability, the Veteran's claim is remanded as he did not undergo a VA examination and sufficient evidence does not exist for the Board to decide the claim.
The deciding factor: The decision grants service connection for neck disability based on a current diagnosis of degenerative disc disease linked to an in-service injury. The back disability claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence, including lack of a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disability, back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26030998
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 A26030998.
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.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, endometriosis, thyroid condition, and chronic fatigue syndrome due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The claims are now considered on their merits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for additional VA examination. The Veteran's back disability is being reviewed again with new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, hip, and lower extremity disabilities due to a lack of VA examination and outstanding treatment records. The Veteran's current diagnoses and lay statements will be considered in determining if his conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a neck disability due to pre-decisional error in not obtaining a VA examination and medical opinion.
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