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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran does not have a low back disability.,The Veteran's current migraine headache disorder is not attributable to disease or injury sustained during his period of service.,The Veteran does not have PTSD.,The Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD) is not attributable to disease or injury sustained during his period of service.,The Veteran does not have a disability manifested by loss of smell attributable to disease or injury sustained during his period of service.

The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a low back disability in the Veteran's service records, and the examiner concluded that there was no pathology or disability related to the claimed condition.,The Veteran's headaches are not considered a diagnosis of headache disorder due to being part of his in-service diagnosed viral syndrome. There is no competent or credible evidence linking current migraine headaches to his period of active service.,There is no medical opinion linking any current acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) to the Veteran's period of service, as there are no documented stressors related to his military experience that meet the criteria for establishing a diagnosis of PTSD under 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f).,The Veteran does not have a disability manifested by loss of smell attributable to disease or injury sustained during his period of service.

Claimed conditions
Low back disability, Headaches, Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), Loss of sense of smell
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 28, 2017
Citation
1760878

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 1760878.

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.

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