The Board denied service connection for a traumatic brain injury, to include residuals; cervical spine disability; obstructive sleep apnea; and left and right knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The persuasive evidence of record is against finding that the Veteran demonstrated symptoms indicative of TBI, cervical spine condition, obstructive sleep apnea, or bilateral knee conditions prior to his death for which service connection could be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- traumatic brain injury (TBI), cervical spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2025
- Citation
- 25008931
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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