BVA decisions by condition
Neck disability: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a neck disability issue in 734 decisions. It granted the neck disability issue in 2.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 9.8%, and remanded it in 82.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 19.1% were granted.
Decisions
734
2017–2026
Granted
2.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
19.1%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
82.8%
Denied: 9.8%
Neck disability outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 80 | 0.0% | 7.5% | 87.5% | 5.0% |
| 2019 | 74 | 2.7% | 17.6% | 77.0% | 2.7% |
| 2020 | 57 | 1.8% | 14.0% | 73.7% | 10.5% |
| 2021 | 79 | 2.5% | 10.1% | 81.0% | 6.3% |
| 2022 | 72 | 2.8% | 4.2% | 84.7% | 8.3% |
| 2023 | 99 | 2.0% | 10.1% | 82.8% | 5.1% |
| 2024 | 94 | 2.1% | 6.4% | 91.5% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 87 | 3.4% | 12.6% | 81.6% | 2.3% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied neck disability decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the neck disability issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 211 | 39.1% | 12.1% | +27.0 pts |
| Buddy statement | 40 | 37.5% | 17.3% | +20.2 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 274 | 27.0% | 13.5% | +13.6 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 152 | 25.0% | 17.8% | +7.2 pts |
| Combat service | 74 | 25.0% | 18.5% | +6.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 648 | 17.4% | 25.0% | −7.6 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 76.5% of the decisions that granted neck disability.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 52.9% of grants and 19.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often neck disability was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 589 | 20.6% | 14.3% | +6.3 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 427 | 19.6% | 18.4% | +1.2 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied neck disability
Most common reasons in grants
- July 2019 VA examination compliant with correia and sharp1
- Limited flexion of 10 degrees during flare-ups supports 30% rating1
- No ankylosis present to warrant higher rating1
Most common reasons in denials
- No ankylosis present1
- No evidence of criteria for rating above 30 percent1
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent neck disability decisions
Granted
July 2019 VA examination compliant with Correia and Sharp; Limited flexion of 10 degrees during flare-ups supports 30% rating; No ankylosis present to warrant higher rating
Denied
No ankylosis present; No evidence of criteria for rating above 30 percent
Rules that apply to neck disability claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your neck disability case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a neck disability issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.