The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease is not related to service, and his claimed traumatic brain injury residuals are not proven. Therefore, both claims for service connection have been denied.
The deciding factor: The July 2012 VA examiner found no evidence of a diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury in the Veteran's records, and concluded that there was insufficient medical evidence to establish a causal relationship between any in-service injury and his current back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the spine, Residuals of a traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1526360
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 1526360.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability is granted, effective July 19, 2023.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent disability rating for service-connected psychiatric disabilities has been dismissed because no notice of disagreement was filed within the required time frame.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and readjudication due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as a TDIU.
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.