The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, low back, shoulder, and left calf disabilities have been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,His claim for migraine headaches has also been denied due to a lack of credible evidence showing that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any complaints, injuries, or diagnoses related to these conditions. The medical evidence does not support his assertions and there is no credible evidence linking his current disabilities to his military service.,There is also a significant gap in time between the Veteran's reported onset of migraine headaches and his military service, which further undermines his claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Disability, Low Back Disability, Bilateral Shoulder Disability, Left Calf Disability, Migraine Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20053605
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 20053605.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's 50% disability rating for migraine headaches was restored as the evidence did not show actual improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including diagnosed degenerative arthritis with DDD other than intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis status post L3, L4, and L5 laminectomy. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury and his ongoing symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at a 50 percent rating, effective December 3, 2021, due to frequent and severe attacks that significantly impact his ability to work.
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