The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any current diagnoses of headaches, TMJ, sleep disorders, low back pain, or liver disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or exposure to Agent Orange.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to service or exposure to Agent Orange.
- Claimed conditions
- Headache Disorder, Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ), Sleep Disorder, to include Sleep Apnea, Low Back Disorder, Liver Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2008
- Citation
- 0818395
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 0818395.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Headache Disorder due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment, and the absence of a causal relationship between these conditions and service. The claim for Headache Disorder is remanded for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The reduction of the disability rating for headaches from 50% to 30% is not proper and is void ab initio. Effective dates are denied for various service connection claims.,Multiple issues related to initial disability ratings, effective dates, and earlier effective dates for higher ratings are remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for higher ratings in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right knee disability and low back disorder. As a result, the cases are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the VA medical opinions provided prior to the October 2025 rating decision. The AOJ is required to obtain a VA addendum opinion from the same nurse practitioner or another qualified clinician to address inconsistencies in the etiology of the Veteran's liver disorder.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.