The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is denied as there are no residuals of the in-service injury.,The Veteran's right rib disorder is denied as there are no current residuals from the in-service fracture.,The lung disorder due to chemical exposure is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability attributable to service.,The traumatic brain injury is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability attributable to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not sustain any injuries to his cervical spine during the in-service accident, and he does not have any current residuals from that injury. The right rib fractures sustained during service are also considered resolved, with no ongoing symptoms or disabilities.,There is no evidence of a current right rib disability attributable to service. The Veteran's right ribs were fractured during service but there are no indications of persistent pain or other issues related to the in-service fracture.,The lung disorder due to chemical exposure was not diagnosed until after separation from service, and there is no evidence linking it to any incident during service. The Veteran does not have a current disability attributable to service for this issue.,There is no evidence of a current traumatic brain injury disability that can be linked to the in-service accident. The Veteran's reported symptoms are not supported by medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disorder, Right rib disorder, Lung disorder due to chemical exposure, Traumatic brain injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19110167
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,170 · Granted: 38% (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 19110167.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 10, 2010, for the award of special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance due to residuals of traumatic brain injury under 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) is granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.