The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current back disorder or residuals of TBI related to his service. The claim for somatic symptom disorder is granted, but the claims for back disorder and TBI are denied.
The deciding factor: The most recent VA examination did not find any objective evidence of a current disability related to the claimed TBI, and the Veteran's reported symptoms do not align with established treatment protocols for TBI.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptom disorder, PTSD with depressive aspects
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2018
- Citation
- 1804945
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 1804945.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis and remanded the claims of anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and somatic symptom disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for somatic symptom disorder and migraines, both found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of somatic symptom disorder. The effective date for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea (OSA) was set at February 4, 2020, and a rating in excess of 50 percent for OSA is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including insomnia disorder, anxiety, and somatic symptom disorder) and bruxism. The evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.
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