The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, other than headaches is being remanded due to the need to obtain all his service treatment records and provide an updated opinion from the VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The Board needs to ensure that all relevant service treatment records are obtained before providing an updated opinion on whether the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service head injury.
- Claimed conditions
- blackout spells, loss of consciousness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2014
- Citation
- 1444226
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 1444226.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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 various conditions, including renal failure, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, blackout spells, swelling of the eyelids, diminished eyesight, sleep deprivation, and bladder incontinence. The Board also denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ankle tendonitis associated with residual scar.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for blackout spells and hypertension due to a duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board has granted reconsideration of the claim for service connection for vasovagal syncope syndrome, and is granting an earlier effective date to October 18, 2024. The Veteran's STRs were not considered in the original decision due to lack of records at that time.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 14, 2014, for service connection of vasovagal syncope (claimed as blackout spells) was granted. The decision is subject to the laws and regulations governing the payment of monetary benefits.
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.