The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as there was no evidence of a head injury during active service and any current symptoms are not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a head injury occurred during service, and any current conditions are more likely due to other factors such as an arteriovenous malformation diagnosed years after service.
- Claimed conditions
- Head Injury, Various Disorders (including but not limited to headaches and cognitive deficits)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20004366
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied in an August 2006 rating decision. The claim of entitlement to reopen the head injury was granted, but not all issues related to this condition have been decided.,An effective date prior to August 17, 2016, is denied for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining complete service treatment records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, right ankle sprain, left ankle sprain, right shoulder injury (including pain in the scapular area), right rib cage injury, and head injury are all remanded to obtain addendum opinions regarding their relationship to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's head injury and its relation to service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a head injury that allegedly occurred during active duty, leading to memory loss and lack of concentration.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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