The Veteran's service records do not support the presence of a TBI in service, and his current disabilities are not linked to any incident during service.,There is no evidence of a head injury or TBI in service. The Veteran’s STRs do not mention a fall or related head injury.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to his service, particularly as there is no documented incident of a TBI during service.
- Claimed conditions
- heat exhaustion, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), vision problems, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), right hip disability, left hip disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, asbestosis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), thyroid disability, restless leg syndrome (RLS), memory loss, erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18141553
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 18141553.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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