The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and headaches, but granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The issues of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are also remanded.,Service connection was not granted for head trauma or headaches as secondary to head trauma.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of a right shoulder disability, and the Board found that there is no evidence of a right shoulder injury during service. The Veteran's current back pain and headaches are linked to his brain surgery after service.,Service connection was denied for head trauma as there was no in-service traumatic brain injury documented, and for headaches as they were related to post-service brain surgery.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine with IVDS, Head Trauma, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18103949
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 18103949.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
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