The Veteran's claimed headaches have not been attributed to an undiagnosed illness and there is no competent medical evidence linking any of the diagnosed disability to service, including service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations.
The deciding factor: There are no objective findings or diagnoses related to the Veteran's current headache disability in his STRs, and the long period without problems after service weighs against a finding of a connection between the disability and service.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches with light sensitivity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1705486
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1705486.
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: Partly granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for headaches with light sensitivity, denied a compensable disability rating for allergic rhinitis, and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development. The claims include right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, a disability manifested by memory loss and fatigue, headaches with light sensitivity, and alopecia.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and records review. The issues of service connection for headaches, ankle tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, knee disorders, and chronic bronchitis are pending.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury, tinnitus as a residual of TBI, and headaches with light sensitivity as a residual of TBI. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his in-service head injuries.
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