The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including TBI residuals, PTSD, hearing loss, ocular migraine headaches, cervical spine disability, skin cancer, and others, were denied as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and her military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities to her military service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a head injury (TBI), ocular migraine headaches, cervical degenerative disc disease, left intermittent hip strain (left hip disability), right hip disability, low back disability, basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer), cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, shortness of breath, Morton’s neuroma and bunion of the right foot, ankle disability with irregular gait, depressive disorder, left hand disability, arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint of the right hand, right arm condition (loss of use and joint pain), left arm disability (joint pain), bilateral wrist disability, loss of sex drive, chronic constipation, chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle atrophy, urinary frequency, right shin splints, left shin splints, sleep disturbance, memory loss, syncope
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19133923
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 19133923.
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 Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- 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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