The Veteran's TBI is granted, and his tension headaches are denied. The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, left foot metatarsalgia (post-stress fracture), sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis are all remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted for TBI due to in-service IED explosions. Initial ratings for tension headaches were denied as they did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine, left foot metatarsalgia (post-stress fracture), sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis are all remanded for further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Arthritis of the lumbar spine, Left foot metatarsalgia, status post left foot stress fracture, Sinusitis, Allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- A19002866
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19002866.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development. The Veteran contends his allergic rhinitis began during service, but VA medical opinions have found no link between his current condition and service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its residuals, including unsteady gait, somnolence, and cognitive dysfunction. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay statements about in-service head injuries and subsequent seizures.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 5, 2024, for a 10 percent evaluation of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Veteran also appealed for a higher rating for his allergic rhinitis and this was denied as well.,The Veteran's PTSD with TBI claim is remanded due to inadequate medical examinations.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.
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