The Board denied service connection for low back, left hip, and left knee disorders, as well as a skull fracture (claimed as TBI) and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims were based on the Veteran's reports of in-service injuries but lacked supporting medical evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no credible evidence linking the current disabilities to service, particularly given conflicting statements from the Veteran regarding his in-service incidents and lack of documented medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, left hip disorder, left knee disorder, skull fracture (claimed as TBI), acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19106146
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 dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, type II, migraines, left and right knee disorders, and obstructive sleep apnea due to missing military records and inadequate examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a left hip disorder to be further developed, including an examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a low back disorder to obtain additional medical evidence and ensure that the Veteran is afforded every possible consideration.
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