The Board has determined that the Veteran's current headaches and lumbar disc disease are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided do not establish a link between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service, including any in-service injuries or exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- Closed head trauma with headaches, Lumbosacral degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2015
- Citation
- 1504702
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 1504702.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, and lumbar scar. The remand includes obtaining updated VA examinations to assess the severity of these conditions without the ameliorative effects of medication, as well as determining appropriate effective dates for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, right and left knee conditions, hip and ankle arthritis, tinnitus, and other impairments, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU are met.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the service connection claims for a cervical spine disorder and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include a headache disorder, as well as the SMC and SMP claims. The issues are being remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran's falls were caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The left knee condition is rated at 10 percent, while the lumbosacral spine disability was rated as 20 percent from July 15, 2008 to January 7, 2011.
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.