The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a cervical spine condition and traumatic brain injury, finding that there is no current diagnosis associated with these conditions and insufficient evidence to link them to in-service events or injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a cervical spine condition or TBI, and their symptoms are more likely related to other conditions such as age-related issues or PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine condition, Traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18142026
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 18142026.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran before the Board promulgated a decision.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right wrist pain, left wrist pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, and a traumatic brain injury as the evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the Veteran's petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for degenerative changes and disc space narrowing, C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/7 neck injury and a traumatic brain injury based on new and relevant evidence. The claims for a cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and bilateral radiculopathy with sciatica were remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and assistance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.