The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for residuals of head injuries due to new and material evidence, but the appellant's injury was not incurred in line of duty during his unauthorized absence.
The deciding factor: The appellant's unauthorized absence from active duty materially interfered with his performance of military duties, preventing him from being considered to have sustained an injury or disease in line of duty.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of head injuries
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 29, 2003
- Citation
- 0325590
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0325590.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found no current residual of in-service head injuries and denied the claim for service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of head injuries. The Veteran's in-service noise exposure is presumed, and his current disabilities are found to be related to active service.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of head injuries and facial spasm and cluster headaches, but further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected knee disabilities.
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