The Veteran's headaches are not related to service and less likely due to his service-connected panic disorder.,The Veteran's sleep disability is at least as likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected panic disorder.,The Veteran’s difficulty swallowing is less likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's cervical spine arthritis, claimed as a neck disorder, did not have onset during service and is not otherwise related to his service.
The deciding factor: The May 2019 VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s headaches are less likely than not related to service or due to his service-connected panic disorder.,The May 2019 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's insomnia disorder is at least as likely as not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected panic disorder.,The May 2019 VA examiner noted that the Veteran’s neck pain is caused by degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and this is less likely than not related to his neck injury incurred during military service.,The May 2019 VA examiner found no evidence of a current neck disability related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, sleep disorder, difficulty swallowing, cervical spine arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20006359
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 headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an increased initial disability evaluation of headaches due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
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